Power Play
by Rudy Dale
Summary: The Jedi are reeling after multiple defeats and the Separtiast seek to destroy the Republic and win The Clone War, it is up to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ashoka Tano and an unknown ally to stop the destruction of Coruscant.
1. Chapter 1 The Price for Ammunition

**This is redo of the first two chapters. A reviewer by the name of _Righteosham_ gave me remarkable insight on what was wrong with my work. Thanks to _Righteosham_ and _Silver Lion Inc._ , for their help.**

 **This is an updated version of chapter 1. More context and better portrayals of the characters, in my opinion in this version than the previous.**

 **The main characters of this story will be Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ashoka Tano, General Grevious, Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress and tons of OCs varying from gender and race.**

 **I will have more character info on Arturo Carroll in my author profile. Basically, Arturo is a hoodlum from Lianos, living with a tight financial belt and though he is only 16, he feels pressure to provide for his family.**

 **I will have more character info on Arturo Carroll in my author profile. Basically, Arturo is a hoodlum from Lianos, living with a tight financial belt and though he is only 16, he feels pressure to provide for his family**

* * *

Kerry Klingston worked on her techpad, monitoring the workers heart rates to make sure they weren't overworked. Most bosses didn't care for the workers well beings, but Kerry took pity on the men dragged into such hard labor. Dooku trusted her with to break ground for energy resources to power the droids. For what she could not fully comprehend. Being drafted to fight alongside an infamous warlord didn't give you allot of chances to get context. When Grievous or Dooku told her to do something she made sure to do it.

Her red hair matched the fire burning right behind her, she had freckles on her cheeks and dawned a black cap with the Separatist insignia on it.

"Ms. Klingston." A droid walked up to her. It was one of those tin cans that were easier to cut through than butter. "General Grievous would like to speak to you." The droid said in a buzzing, high pitched wheeze that bothered Kerry so much.

"Ready my communications port." Kerry said, not expecting the ball to be dropped. The droid cowered a bit. Kerry always wondered how droids were capable of acting like they had emotions. "What is it?" She said, getting impatient.

"It's just, General Grevious is here." Kerry's eyes widened, a pit in her stomach opened up. She gathered herself and changed the look on her face back to expressionless. "Take me to him." She marched to meet the mad general that Count Dooku employed to oversee this project that will be the final nail in the coffin of the Galactic Republic.

She seen General Grievous looking at the yellow light, almost hypnotized by its glow. "Uh, general?" The droid took the other droid out of its concentration and stared at the young woman. "Hello, Klingston." He mock bowed. "I trust our operation here is running smoothly?" He asked. Grievous looked like a reptile in a robot suit, yet his robotic arms and legs made him more threatening. His yellow eyes poked through his T shaped masked like from out of the dark.

"Yes, General of course. Count Dooku would be most pleased to hear of our process." Kerry hid the fear in her voice, the fear of Grevious killing her right then and there for what ever reason. "We should be ready for testing in two standard weeks." Kerry promised.

Grevious' neck wiggled back and fourth a bit, before settling. He coughed in his metal claw. "Ah, yes, my Master.." Grevious coughed again. "Will be pleased indeed." He turned away, his black and red cape flowing a little from the momentum. "I have spoken to him and he wants me to head up this operation. You will be working under me now, Ms. Klingston."

Kerry was taken back. That doesn't sound like Dooku to just randomly change leadership in a blink of an eye without notifying her. "Why?" She asked. When Grevious didn't answer, she raised her voice. "Why!?" Just before she could get the last letter out, the general shot right up and picked her off the ground. His claw digging into her neck, making her bleed.

His yellow Beady menacing eyes staring right into her horrified blue gems. "I don't need explain myself to the likes of you!" He struggled to say through his respirator. Grevious threw Kerry into the glass, her back being hurt from the impact, unable to stand. Grevious didn't even look at her, just walked right out of the room and started running the show.

As Kerry rubbed her hand across her bloodied neck, her mind came to a unanimous conclusion: she had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

 _Jedi Temple Hanger Bay_

Anakin exited the ship, holding his right leg. A tear in his dirtied black tunic, revealing his black leggings that usually hid under the tunic. He struggled to walk down the bridge, feeling his knee lock up, only able to shuffle it slowly down the ramp. Burn marks on his non-prosthesis arm and face, gave Anakin the impression the flesh was melting off his bones.

"Hey, Master!" His Togruta Padawan ran up to meet her mentor. Recently turning 18, the student dawned the same old attire for two-years. Ashoka's physical features changed since Anakin left for the three-month campaign, her lekku reaching her chest; growing as she aged. Noticing his limp, Ashoka helped him off the ship. "Thanks, Snips." He said gratefully.

Walking through the Temple, the two soldiered on to the medical ward. "I heard what happened on Christophsis." Ashoka said, a little miffed The Council didn't let her go along with him. Anakin wiped the dirt from his black tunic on to the shining white floors of the Temple, his slobbish nature drew mild attention from people walking by.

"You didn't miss much, 'Soka," He assured her. "Just a bunch of boring political talk." He wasn't even trying to lie to her. He chuckled, as did she. Some dust landed on her velvet tunic; she didn't care; it was a souvenir from Christophsis.

After Anakin was admitted into the medical ward, Ashoka and a medical droid helped ease the Knight on his bed. "Careful, Master." Ashoka said, cringing a bit as he groaned in pain. "Yes, careful, Mr. Skywalker." The droid said in that monotone, vibrat-y voice that scared the pants of Anakin.

"Another day at the office, huh?" Anakin said with another hearty laugh, after being laid down on the bed. Ashoka rolled her eyes and proceeded to remove her Masters boots and give him an extra pillow.

"Master Skywalker is currently suffering from a lower right foot injury, may I suggest amputation?" The droid said out of nowhere, despite not doing any prior research on the patient. Anakin, of course, not suffering from that much pain was shocked at the utter stupidity being displayed. The two just looked at each other mildly amused. "It's broken." They both said in unison. Ashoka left the room and looked out in the hallway. "Hey, we need a new medical droid!" She shouted from the doorway. "This one's busted!" She tried again, but no answer.

"I'm going to go look for a droid, okay?" Ashoka told Anakin, leaving him to deal with the wonky "doctor". "Open wide, Skywalker." Droid said in a motherly tone, tempting Anakin to use his lightsaber to cut the droid in half.

Ashoka traversed through the Temple and could not find a droid anywhere. Odd, considering the place is usually crawling with them. Sometimes it's more likelier to run into a droid at the Jedi Temple than a Jedi. Placing her hands on her hips. Ashoka pondered where could have they gone.

Obi-Wan Kenobi walked to the young apprentice. "I see you're looking for a medical droid; and on a related note, Anakin is in the medical ward, again i see." Ashoka nodded and bowed to her superior. Obi-Wan smiled a little at how forced that all felt.

"All the medical droids are in the Halls of Healing." Obi-Wan instructed Ashoka to take Anakin there.

Ashoka walked back to Anakin's hospital room, where he was already asleep. Obi-Wan walked over to his former apprentice, snapping his fingers in his faces. "Wake up, Anakin!" He said with an annoyed sign. Anakin's eyes fluttered open. "We're taking you to the Halls of Healing. There are no more droids here anymore." Obi-Wan grabbed a Power Chair from the other side of the room and began easing the wounded Knight in it. "You feeling better?" He asked, patronizingly as he wheeled him out.

The Halls of Healing were cluttered with injured Jedi, some young, some old; the old, forwent treatment in favor of the younger Jedi's. Ashoka was taken back at the sight. "I never knew it was this bad." Anakin wasn't aware either, not being able to look at all the wounded. Some missing limbs or even organs, lying waste in the overcrowded medial ward. Was all Anakin could comment on, hiding a tear forming in his eye.

"Everybody that is under the age of 45 standard years, you will be admitted, if you are over the required age, please sign here and you will be placed on our waiting list." A medical droid said. The supplies were so short that Jedi's resorted to healing their blaster wounds; lightsaber wounds with the force or just to numb the pain of having no right arm, as there was no much Nullicaine left.

"So many great men, brought down by the savagery of war." Obi-Wan commented. "Dooku may not know it, but he has the Republic on its knees at the moment." Obi-Wan's face looked grave and grey; Anakin's looked the same. Ashoka was beginning to understand why her Master didn't want to bring her on a month long siege of the Separatist Droid foundries.

Sitting in the middle of the hospital room, Anakin nodded off again, if that shoddy medical droid did one thing right, it was shooting Anakin up with pain killers.

"Ashoka, did Anakin say anything about the siege on Christophsis?" Obi-Wan wondered if in his former apprentices haze, did he squeal necessary information, before telling The Jedi Council. Ashoka shook her head. "No, Master." She said. "I did hear over the HoloNet, the casualty totals, over 15,000."

Obi-Wan held his head down, stroking his chin. "Dooku let us get use to outsmarting dim witted Tactical Droids, before unleashing his a actual being to join his cause. We never planned on Dooku using anything, but droids to fight and lead." Obi-Wan said. The nurse came out of the room and called for Anakin to be admitted. They rolled him in, hooking him up the Bacta Tanks to help him with his burns.

"Master, is the war in jeopardy?" Ashoka asked the question on everybody's mind. She had friends in the field she worried about losing like Barriss.

"I don't know. But what I do know is we need a massive overhaul in how we've been orchestrating this war." Obi-Wan said, clutching tightly to his right breast pocket, making sure whatever he had in there was still in its compartment. "And I think I know how we can do that." He said confidently.

Neither of them could imagine marching Anakin back into battle just a few weeks after Christophsis, but with the number of Jedi so scarce in numbers that might be the case.

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 **That is the first chapter in the books. A little short, I know, but I don't intend for all of my chapters to be barley over 1,600 words, I just wanted to give a good detailed description of what is the current state of both the Republic and Separatist sides.**


	2. Chapter 2 Life on Lianos

**A/N: Before you start reading, I'd like to thank author _Ichigo Urahara_ _Shihoin_ for favoriting and following this story. I really appreciate it and I am sorry for the sudden change in the entire premise. It is still largely the same setting, but changes here and there. I'm fairly inconsistent and that is something I shouldn't share to a crowd I need to read my work...well, I am honest, I can say that.**

 **This chapter will be the first of a character I've been working on for sometime now, Arturo Carroll, a human male from Lianos. Hopefully you'll enjoy his story. If not, let me know in the reviews, I accept good and bad feedback!**

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He seen the strangest things, white lights flying pass his eyes; blinding him whenever they get too close. _"Arturo,"_ A disembodied voice called to him. A light skinned, brown haired, short child (1.67 meters), twisted around and found the blackness had an end. The white light illuminated the very thin stairs, Arturo walked slowly, like he was doing a circus act on a tightrope.

 _"It is a mighty struggle for someone so young, to be so nimble."_ The voice said. This made Arturo lose concentration and he faltered, almost falling to his death, clutching on tightly to the thin white stairway. Breathing hard, his hands getting sweaty, Arturo tried to pull himself up. He looked to where he once was and saw the stairs vanishing into the darkness. Arturo mustered all of his strengths to pull himself up and ran like Hell to get to wherever the stairway lead him.

" _Do not be afraid young one, only the ignorant will fall."_ The voice, Arturo can now determine was feminine, spoke to him. Arturo just ignored the advice and continued his panicky pace to the end of the stairway; unfortunately for him it ran on for what seemed like ages and the stairs started vanishing faster and soon it would catch up to the young boy. _"Calm yourself!"_ The disgruntled feminine voice pleaded, making Arturo stop dead in his tracks, almost forgetting completely the ground was about to be pulled out from under him.

Looking around for some sort of way out, Arturo seen no end to the stairway, it just went up and up. Even though it looked high enough to touch the sky; Arturo felt this urge that he was actually going down.

 _"Listen to me."_ The feminine voice, put her metaphorical foot down. _"Don't be afraid, there is no death, there is the force."_ Arturo looked for a speaker from where she was talking to him from, but found nothing.

"The force?" He asks, befuddled and frustrated. Why is he here, there's no reason for him to be going through such trials. The stairs finally caught up to Arturo's feet, but stopped right before they could sink him to the abyss. The white light shined bright under his black sneakers, he looked up high to shield his eyes from the blinding shine.

 _"Who are you?"_ The feminine voice tried to reason with the terrified boy. He held up his chin, wondering if the feminine voice could see him. "I'm no one." He answered, just hoping this will end. _"Everyone is someone."_ The feminine voice counters. _"If you are no one, then why are you still alive?"_ The feminine voice puts harshly, almost sending a shockwave through Arturo's heart.

"What is this place?" He asked. The white light dimmed a little, making Arturo more tense, as he does know what that means. "Your soul." The feminine voice said. _"The soul of a ' **nothing'** child." _Arturo didn't have time for games, he was nervous enough as it is. The one thing he made out from the blackness the sight of a burning circular room. _"What you are seeing is what we call: premonitions." _The feminine voice read the young one's mind.

The images started coming at him a bit faster, too much for Arturo to handle. He couldn't catch anything, but words that resembled a puzzle. _"We are calling out to you!"_ The feminine voice says with a sense of wonderment in her tone.

The white light went out under Arturo, as did the stairs, sending the fledgeling youngster to grasp at air in a futile attempt to save himself.

 _"Fear will be your enemy, knowledge will be your sword."_ Is the last thing Arturo heard the feminine voice say, before he hit the ground.

Arturo burst out of his bed, throwing the tattered covers off himself and hitting his head on the over head shelf in the process, in a panicky haze, screaming like a madman and sweating like he was just inside a to tonton corpse. He felt his face, seeing if this was truly the end of the horrible dream.

A light tapping on his bedroom window made him brandish his blaster hidden under his bed, pointing at the young woman outside. A Twi'lek, green skinned, wearing grey and black overalls with a brown strap holster over her shoulder. Taking his finger off the trigger, Arturo rolled his eyes before unlocking the window, letting the older female step into his private space.

"How are you doing, junior?" Margot introduced herself, falling over the window ceil while climbing over it, hitting her face on the bedpost. Arturo couldn't help but breakout in laughter at the sight of his friend making a jerk of herself.

"Here." Still giggling, he extended a hand to help Margot get up. "What are you doing here?" He asks her. Margot noted Arturo's poor appearance.

"I know you just got up, but you look terrible, did you hit your head?" She reaches out to feel a bump on top of his forehead. Arturo wanted to be left alone, this wasn't the time to be social. "Can you leave now-" His sentence hadn't finished, but Margot wasn't interested in hearing him. "No, not after seeing this." She tells him forcefully, dragging him out of his bedroom and into the refresher. "Clean yourself up. We're late for work." She said, tossing the weaker boy in the refresher. "Ow." Was all he groaned.

Arturo walked up to the mirror, his hair combed over to one side, his breath smelling of the garbage he ate the previous night and his eyes had thousand-yard stare going on. Shaking his head, His brown hair covered with sweat, Arturo hopped into the refresher.

"I don't think you should be here, Margot, you did just break into my house." Arturo warns his friend through the door, over the sounds of the water hitting the tiles. Margot rolled her eyes, looking at her nails. "I don't care." Was all she said. That was good enough for Arturo.

Exiting the refresher, Arturo came out looking neater. His hair was now tidy, he looked more confident and actually cracked a smile. "I love a good shower." He said to himself. Margot just grabbed him by the towel and threw him into his room. Another "Ow!" Escaped his lips.

Arturo opened his drawers to find no clean clothes, only one blue sock that was left behind. The enthusiasm left Arturo's face like the 11 o'clock transport. Margot knocked on the door, begging for Arturo to hurry up. Taking out a black t-shirt, black jeans and a grey sock to go with his lone clean piece of clothing. Fitting into a pair of black Wimax Ultras', with red stripes running across. Arturo wore the best of what he could find in the dirty clothes pile in his closet.

"Phew, you don't look good." Margot points out Arturo's poor appearance, not out of aggression, but sorrow. "Art, is everything okay home?" She asks, reaching her hand out to him. He shrugs. "My mom's just behind on the laundry." He fixed his belt, then went downstairs to his awaiting family. Arturo hated heading downstairs every morning. His dad is laid spread out on the couch, like he always is and his mother is napping next to him, just finished a six-hour shift at the Monti's house and is soon to start her next shift at the Windimere's.

Arturo walked slowly to his father, who's breath was laboring. Feeling his head, it was hotter than ever. None of the prescribed medicines helped him. He went into the closet on the side of the sink and took out a blanket and laid it on her tired mother. His father was bald, very skinny and his legs were cut up. His mother on the other hand, was thin as a twig and had bruises on her wrist. Her once golden blonde hair, that flowed gorgeously in the wind, lost its color and became average.

"Art..." Was all Margot could say, seeing he was visibly upset with his parents condition. Margot was about to remind him again of work, but wanted Arturo to gather himself. Kissing his mother on her forehead and grabbing his father's left hand tightly, Arturo remembered his little sister hasn't gotten up for school, yet.

Running up the slippery stairs, Arturo opened his little sister's room, finding her sleeping soundly on her makeshift mattress.

"Pss, Rooney, wake up, time for school." She groaned, flipping herself over, her back turned to him. Rooney's blonde hair matched her mothers, but hers reached all the way to her back and had locks at the bottom.

Arturo didn't have patience for his sister and picked her up out of her bed. "Rise and shine!" He said, to her now distraught sister. "Put me down!" She exclaimed hitting his chest with her tiny fist. Arturo almost laughed out loud at the sight. "Cut it out, Rooney!" He ordered, forgetting the fact that four-year olds don't like being awaken in the middle of their slumber.

Placing her down next to the sink, Arturo washed her face, gently rubbing the crust from her eyes and the dried drool from the sides of her mouth. When Rooney's eyes were finally wide awake, Arturo asked her could see get herself ready for school. She reluctantly answered "Yes", giving Arturo the green light to leave her baby sister to be a big girl.

He then left to layout her clothes, but just like his predicament, Rooney had no wears whatsoever. Arturo again started shaking, sad that his little sister can't escape the terrors of being poor. Margot wrapped an arm around Arturo, before going into Rooney's dirty clothes bucket and scooping out a pair of long jogging pants, a dirt stained white t-shirt and overalls similar to her's.

"Thanks." Arturo said to Margot, with a somber smile. "Don't mention it." She says, giving her friend a jab in the arm.

Rooney came out of the refresher, dressing herself in the garb laid out for her. Even though she knew it wasn't the best clothes, she still had a smile on her clean face. Arturo admired that in her. Maybe it was the fact she didn't know better or didn't understand how bad their situation was, but Rooney always looked on the bright side of things.

"You ready for school, Rooney?" Arturo asked. Rooney grabbed a snack from the lazy Susan and stuffed her backpack with various junk foods that couldn't have been good for her. "Ready!" She perks up, her back straight and face gleaming.

The transport honked its horn, impatiently waiting outside for one of its pickups. "Have fun, Roon!" Arturo encouraged, ushering her out the house.

"Ready?" Margot asks Arturo, he turns to look at her and nods. He closes the house door and walks in the cold morning air. Arturo hated walking in his neighborhood. It smelt of raw fish, homeless people outnumbered the owners of property and the bosses abused their workers.

Walking pass the little towns, small businesses varying from junk dealers, drug pushers and loan sharks, Margot made sure to keep Arturo close, as to ensure he wouldn't see the horrible practices.

A a man, couldn't have been younger than 60, lugged around a large crate, probably carrying ship parts scraped from the junkyards in Taoi. He was human, he looked like he hadn't eaten in days; arms were scrawny; and knees shaking.

"Hurry up you slime!" A man of Togruta species, most likely the owner of the shop, yelled at the middle aged man. His green and blue montrals missing its left lekku. Holding a gun in his right hand and accompanied by two Super Battle Droids. Arturo eyed the proprietor with disgust, snaking out of Margot's hold on his left arm. The Togruta chastised his worker, pointing his blaster directly at the crippling man. He grunted, his hand raised up faster than lightning; just itching to shoot.

Arturo charged up his blaster and aimed it right to the Togruta's head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." He said, trying to remain calm. The Togruta lowered his blaster, the SBDs raised theirs at Arturo. "Lower your weapon civilian." One SBD said in a deep robotic tone. "This is not any of your busy, boy!" He gritted through his teeth. Arturo started contemplating punching the man right in his sensitive lekku and giving the him significant brain damage. The proprietor's left hand jumped, Arturo was about to pull the trigger on his pistol in a panic, but a shot from over his shoulder collided with the Torgruta's left shoulder, dropping the blaster to the ground. After the momentary confusion, Arturo fired three shots all hitting the SBDs in the red eye, collapsing instantly. Art looked behind him, seeing Margot holding her own blaster. Awed, Arturo the man and set him free.

The Togruta held his shoulder, cursing at the two young kids. Arturo kept his blaster pointed at the wounded and disarmed man. "You're going to pay for that!" He yells, pushing the red button on his wrist bracelet, getting the attention of Battle Droids walking by. Both Arturo and Margot run from the scene, before authorities could arrive. Margot hits Arturo on the back, while they are still running.

"Couldn't help yourself, huh?!" She says in annoyance at her friends predictability. "Hey, I'm not letting nobody treat somebody like that!" Arturo counters. He ropes his arm around Margot's hand and drags her to a nearby cave. The sounds of Battle Droids stampeding, shook the ground, almost to the point of collapse.

When it stopped, Arturo let go of Margot's arm. "I hate those Seppies." Arturo said, kicking rocks. Arturo wasn't aware of what The Clone Wars was about, all he knew is it was gravely effecting his life.

"Arturo," Margot starts, he turns around. "Give me your blaster." She orders. Shocked, Arturo refuses. "Why would I do that?" He asks. "Because, you know I needed work today and you had to go off on your own moral mission!" She says with contempt in her voice.

Insulted, Arturo walked forward, facing the woman one-year her senior in the eye. "Yeah, well I need the money too!" He yells. "My Dad's sick; my Mom's working two jobs that don't put food on the table and my sister is growing up in poverty!" His throat began to go dry he was yelling so loud. Margot thought he'd attract the Battle Droids; she gestured for him to quite down.

"Margot, you have a mother and she works hard, but what do you really need that work money for?" Arturo asks, more calmly. When Margot didn't answer he went on. "I need to help my family everyday, but everyday I see injustices like this and I can't stand by and watch it happen." Arturo said. Sighing, he took out his blaster and handed it to Margot. "Here." He said. "They're probably gone. I'm gonna go home." Was all he said, he didn't say _see you later_ or anything of the sort.

Margot wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words.


	3. Chapter 3 Insanity & Silent Resign

**_A new chapter! Two to be more accurate. Anyways, hope you enjoy!_**

* * *

 ** _Arturo's Hut, Lianos_**

Entering his little hut he called a house, Art went to his fridge and pulled out a bottle from his father's secret compartment. Sweet, soapy Lum ale. Art loved this stuff. It calmed him down during his daily panic attacks in the daytime. All the fears of his financial state; his little sister Rooney growing up poor and the wellbeing of his parents washed away with the liquor down his gullet.

He felt a bit trippy after one too many sips. Art wasn't the type of person to drink you under the table. His tolerance for liquor was very limited and his head began to lighten quick. Soon he felt like it was detached from his body.

A knock on the door separated Art from his lonesome. He grabbed his head, already with a headache. Art thought it was Margot, maybe he should apologize for what he said earlier. Her family was poor too and needed money. Difference was Margot was forced to work by her family, Art's couldn't dream of a scenario where him or Rooney would have to lift a finger. His parents lived in blissful denial about their living status.

Art opened up the gate and seen pasty Brian. He always had "lucrative deals" for Art to take part in, only to get screwed out of payment. Brian thought just making deals made your name known to the ringleaders of the crime underworld on Lianos. All the endless dealing did was make Art wonder why he hasn't robbed him blind, yet.

"Arturo!" He says very flamboyantly, giving Art a hug, but is pushed away instantly. "What, no love?" He asked, faking being hurt. His chipped teeth and skin disgusted Art. All the drugs Brian inhaled over the years must've take five standard decades off his life.

"Not for people like you. What do you want?" Art asked, setting down his Lum ale on the table. Brian was about to take a seat when Art aimed his blaster right at his visitors skull. Brian took the hint and stayed standing.

"I heard what happened out there today and I am here to help." Brian said, holding his hands up defensively. Art laughed. Brian gave a 'No, I'm serious' look.

"Help?" Art continued to cackle, holding his ribs. "Brian, when you try to 'help' it always ends with me saving your butt!" Art popped Brian's figurative balloon. Brian's 21-years-old and needed a 16-year-old to save him from his own stupid shenanigans. Somehow the feeling of embarrassment was loss on Brian.

"That's why we're a good team, Art!" He went up to his face and spoke to his ear. "I set you up to be the hero." Brian said, slapping Art on the back. Art gave a death stare to Brian, silently telling him to back off, which he obliged.

"Yeah, well playing hero doesn't pay." Art told. "Now get out of my house!" He ordered, pushing Brian outside.

Brian made one last plea. "Come on, it can't be simpler. A shipment of designer knockoff handbags and watches are passing through this spot, we track it, we steal it, we get paid." Brian said confident as ever. He pointed to the ground when he said 'this spot' to show how close Arturo will be to making bronze dollars.

Art thought about it. Knowing Brian, he'd get trigger happy and shoot the driver, attracting Seppies.

"Alright, I'm in, but on one condition." Art said sternly. Brian celebrated a little when he roped Art in to his scheme. "You are unarmed." Brian stopped and looked at Art like he was crazy.

"What?" He said, showing off his blaster. "What's the point of this thing if you can't scare anybody with it?" Brian asked. Art wasn't having it and held his hand out. Brian reluctantly gave his blaster over.

"It's cause you're a horrible shot and you're easily startled!" Art explained his friends incompetence.

Nothing about Brian gave Art peace of mind. Holstering Brian's DC-15S Side Arm Blaster on the left side of his hip on the other side holding his star corps pistol. Art admired the pistol, thinking of stealing it later.

Later, the two staked out under the overhead bridge two miles from Art's hut. Sitting in their speeder. An X-34 model. A beauty in its advanced tech, but poor girls been slowly dilapidating under the care of Brian, who couldn't be bothered to check under the hood once in a while. Every few minutes smoke would emit from the engine, smelling up the whole inside of the vehicle.

"You still haven't told me how somebody like you could afford a landspeeder like this." Art said. He took a sip of water out his canteen, his mouth dried up like a Tatooine desert when his heart raced. The streets of Lianos at this hour were mostly abandoned, minus the occasional speeder going by there wasn't much hustle and bustle.

"I heard the Separatist are dropping in new Super Battle Droids." Brian said, taking out a deathstrick, handing one to Art. It felt sweet when it touched his lips, Art breathed it with a heavy sigh of relief. "I got a connection." Brian continued. "Luciph Omire." Brian took a big huff, sucking in all the nicotine his blackening lungs could handle.

Art turned his head and squinted his eyes. How did he always get dragged into things like this. "No." Was all he said, tossing the deathstrick outside. Brian looked at him shocked.

"No?" He said, daring Arturo to decline the offer again. Art obliged, Brian's blood began to boil, but Art knew he was all bark and no bite.

"You want to keep working small time?" Brian asked, dangling the job like a shiny object. Art took a swig of his water washing away the bad aftertaste of nicotine.

"I wouldn't be working small time if your ignorant self could not get in trouble every five seconds and I have to bail you out." Art asserted Brian was nothing more than a wannabe, a unreliable hand to have in the fight. Offended Brian threatened to leave the speeder.

"I could see my presence isn't wanted." He slammed the door shut. Art stormed out the vehicle and threw Brian the keys.

"Alright, see you later." He said with no remorse. Brian walked back to Art, blocking his path and shoving the keys in his chest. Frustrated he couldn't get Art involved.

"Alright man, I'll level with you." Brian said, stopping Art from walking away. "Omire wants the Separatist off the planet and is talks with the Republic for use of his militia." Art rolled his eyes. "But we need guns." Brian finished his premise for the upcoming deal.

"Why can't the Republic supply them with their guns?" Art asked very skeptical. "And why would the Jedi trust a warlord like Omire?" Brian smiled brightly, for he knew what his sources told him was not an overblown assessment.

"That's where this gets juicy. They don't." Brian said simply. "But that doesn't matter. We get them the guns, we get paid and go home." Brian finished his pitch by extending his hand for Art to come to a gentleman's agreement.

"And then what?" Art said, more annoyed at Brian's overly simplistic view of things. "We go home? More like the Separatist hunt us down like wild banthas!"

The altercation ended when a big rig drove past their parked speeder. Both Brian and Art raced back to their vehicles and floored it on the road.

"As always, our talks are very enlightening!" Art sarcastically said, making sure he still had both blasters. He focused on the truck. In a well-maintained X-34 would have no issues overtaking such a slow behemoth, but this was a damaged X-34.

"Would it kill you to take care of your car, Brian!" Art violently said, hitting Brian in the ear for making life just a little more hard for him. Brian seen Art struggle to take his pistol out of the holster and keep driving.

"Art, give me the wheel!" Brian demands. Art shook his head. "No, not after what you did in that pod race a week ago!" Art continued to hold on to the wheel, his grip tightening to the point his knuckles began to turn white.

"I'll drive, you shoot. You're the best shooter on Lianos, it shouldn't be a problem!" Brian was right. Art was a sharp shooter, despite his adolescence. It's what made him what to join the military and leave this rock.

Art conceded and the two struggled to change seats, the speeder swerved left and right, even attracting the attention of Separatist watch droids hot on their tail. When Brian settled into the drivers seat, he seen the pursers.

"We got company!" He warned. Art cocked his pistol and said "yeah, yeah," before shooting the two bikes down with ease. "Wohoo," He said, over the moon with joy. "I live for this stuff!"

Art took arm at the rigI , carful not to destroy the vehicle. "Keep the speeder steady!" He ordered. Art reached out and shot the trucks exhaust port, making it stutter. "It's hit!" He exclaimed. Art hit Brian on the shoulder, currently in a euphoric state.

"Imagine where you'd be if the senate drafted an army!" Brian reminded Art of his greatest disappointment. Perhaps Art's greatest gripe with The Clone Wars wasn't the war itself, but how even the military didn't want him.

When the truck finally stopped, Brian pulled up beside it. He walked out the speeder like the big bad sherif of a town in need of a whopping. Art left the speeder, despite Brian's pleads, knowing his tendencies of getting messy. Dawning ski masks the two had a exchange of words.

"I don't need you!" He whispered to Art, while walking over to the panicking driver. "Shut up!" Art shouted him down.

Brian pestered for his pistol. "Just give me my piece." Brian begged, referring to his gun, he held his hands together.

Art shook his head. "Just let me do the talking." He took the lead and approached the driver. Knocking on the window, Art instinctively ducked behind the door to make sure the driver wasn't armed. Sometimes people in these types of professions were armed to the teeth. Luckily, for Art, that wasn't the case.

The driver was old, looked similar to the man Art seen being whipped by the Togruta earlier in the day. It took him out of his train of thought for a short period of time, letting Brian take the lead.

"Please, I don't want any trouble." The old man backed away from the truck with the goods, not wanting to risk his life for something like knockoff handbags. Brian chased him down and pushed him to the back of the truck. "You ain't going no where gramps, until you open up the back!" Brian threatened, slamming the drivers head against the metal door.

Art got out of his short funk and stopped Brian from going bat crazy. "Hey, hey, we need him alive, you psycho!" Art barked at Brian, pushing him away, but Brian was persistent in making the old man do what he said. Art drew his pistol, willing to blow Brian's skull off if he came one foot closer. It seemed Brian only listens to the blaster.

"Now, sir, please open up doors." Art asked like he was wondering if the codger needed assistance crossing the street. He nodded and the doors opened, showing all the goods that could be of use at the next flea market.

Brian ran inside and started inspecting everything. "It's all here!" He said, giving the thumbs up.

Art went into his pocket and dug out 18 bronze dollars. "I'm sorry about this, I know this won't cover the expenses, but you'll just say you were robbed." Art said in a semi-apologetic tone. "Now go!" He ordered the old man. He complied and went on his way. Art knew what Brian would have done with him, shoot him dead in the back. A heartlessness Art wasn't capable of, sometimes Art though of that as a weakness.

Brian came out of the truck as jubilant as ever. "Man, this stuff is gonna make us rich! And it's all thanks to you." Brian congratulated Art. "I've taught you well."

Art was offended by this and got up in Brian's face again. "Taught me? Taught me? All you've ever done was take from me!" Art yelled and walked over to the drivers seat.

Brian rushed over to him and pushed him to the ground. "Whoa, there. I didn't say I needed you to drive this back to shop." Brian said, taking advantage of Art's temporary confusion to take his pistol back. "This is my shipment, you'll get a slice." Brian slyly entered the drivers seat, still holding his gun at the grounded Arturo.

"I should have known." He muttered to himself, accepting his fate of being the worked over middle man.

"And Art," Brian began. "Think about my offer." He said, laughing. He pulled out the side street and the lights vanished into the dark night. "Yeah, whatever fool!" Art yelled out, kicking dust.

It was at that point Art knew there was nothing for him on Lianos. This was no way to live and he needed to get out. By any means necessary.


	4. Chapter 4 A Time of Crisis

**A/N: Thank you _Kakaski_ and _Zaconator and Zackis_ for following and favoriting this story, respectfully. I really appreciate your patron. **

**This story takes place in a floating timeline. Meaning, Ashoka in the Clone Wars cartoon may have been 16 at the end of the series, but is 18 now and has served as Anakin's apprentice the same amount of time as she did in the cartoon show. This is if I wrote the Clone Wars cartoon series how I'd set up and portray every character. If you have any questions, hit me up on the PMs, it's always open.**

 **I was thinking about introducing Boba Fett somewhere in this story, but a teenager (around 18-20). It screws with the cannon, but none of this is cannon anyway, because it's a Fanfiction. I got some ideas what an older Boba could do in this universe.**

* * *

 ** _Jedi Council_**

Obi-Wan walked into the Jedi Council meeting. Only three Jedi were present for the meeting (Mace Windu, the Tholothian Adi Gallia and Yoda). Though a part of the Council, Obi-Wan was usually unavailable for many matters, due to him being active in The Clone Wars. Yoda deemed so few Jedi Knights worthy of a place on the Council, but with numbers thinning, Yoda wondered if one day he'd be the only member present for such matters.

"Masters," Obi-Wan bowed to show his respect for the Council. A blue flickering hologram Mace Windu standing, gestured for Kenobi to take his seat.

"What has your reconnaissance gathered?" Windu asks. The Jedi have been tracking General Grievous' movements for months. They knew him to be a warrior, easily pleased when Dooku threw him a fighter to challenge the Jedi slayer. However, Grevious' latest foray in Galactic Republic holdouts like Lianos has pestered the Council as to why he would take such a random planet.

"I believe General Grievous is planning on usurping Count Dooku as leader of the Separatist." Obi-Wan said. He called R2 over, he was carrying information Jedi spies have recovered when patrolling Lianos. "Are you sure, Obi-Wan. Your feelings aren't betraying you?" Mace asked, raising an eyebrow; curious in what would cause the General to make such a power play at this moment, one that if failed could cause the end of the Separatist. Yoda was confused too, taking his shriveled up hand and running through his thinning white hair.

"Grievous never cared for the Separatists. All he wanted was power and an army; he has taken on the Order's best Jedi and now he feels that Dooku is on the verge of victory; and his days as a useful asset are numbered." Obi-Wan turned on R2's footage and a bright blue screen illuminated the dark Council room. It was Lianos, an overhead view of some desert part of the planet far from civilization.

"This was taken at the junkyards in Doryia." Obi-Wan informed the Council.

"What is this?" A befuddled Adi asks. Obi-Wan just waited for the answer. Lianos shook as did the camera, the entire Council's ears popped at the shattering sound. A big mushroom cloud encompassed the area. When the smoke cleared, all that was left was lava and ash. The film stopped and Obi-Wan took to the center of the Council room.

"That was taken two weeks ago." He says, looking a little more agitated, despite that not being the first time he's seen that video.

"What was that?" Adi Gallia asks, mortified that such a weapon existed in the galaxy and so close to the Republic.

"We don't know, but the aftermath of the detonation resulted in the area being uninhabitable; the air unbreathable and the ground is currently sinking into the planets core." Obi-Wan told a shellshocked Council. Yoda dropped his walking stick, the old man's heart couldn't handle such distress.

"Stop this we must." Yoda said, hiding the fear in his voice well, just thinking about a weapon like that going off in a city made his heart race. Keeping his composure, Master Yoda, as did the Council entered a catatonic state for a short while, before finally breaking out of it. Mace's eyes glazed to the side of the room, away from the gazes of the other Jedi's. Adi shook her head in effort to erase the feeling of sadness and fearing the consequences of a weapon of that magnitude being in Grievous' hands.

"Will go to Lianos, you and Master Gallia, will." Yoda said, regrouping with himself. Gallia stood up from her chair and met Obi-Wan at the center of the Council room

"What is the status of our Clone troopers?" Obi-Wan asks the Masters. Mace and Yoda exchanged looks of doubt with each other. "Go only you two." Yoda answered the question. Obi-Wan wanted to voice is displeasure, but he knew soldiers didn't come cheap. Kamino held up developing more Clones until the Galactic Republic could pay the bill. The only soldiers Obi-Wan trusted was Captain Rex & Commander Cody, all stationed on Florrum.

"Yes, Masters," Obi-Wan and Adi bowed and walked out the Council room, the looks on their faces changed from monotone to angst.

"A man like Grievous should not have a weapon of that power." Adi said, her voice sounding reckless. Obi-Wan temporally pondered how a fight between Gallia and Grievous would turn out.

"Agreed. And with our current state in this war we can't afford another loss, certainly not of this size." Obi-Wan began to think of ways they could find where Grevious is making this weapon.

"All we can do is track Grievous on Lianos and use the force." Obi-Wan said. Adi looked back at Kenobi. "But that ability has been diminished for sometime." She admitted in defeat.

Obi-Wan and Gallia walk past the Youngling training center in the Temple. Master Yoda would teach his students meditation technics to calm the excitement that came with youth. Presently, it is gathering up dust. More and more Younglings were promoted to Padawan when not ready to see action. Many great Younglings died in The Clone Wars; possibly Yoda's biggest regret is panicking when the once vast number of Jedis in the galaxy began to thin.

"You know I've searched the archives to see how many Younglings died since the war." Adi confessed. She walked over to the sparing area, seeing the training lightsabers gathering up dust. "..." Adi couldn't bare to share the statistic, her bottom lip trembling. Obi-Wan placed a hand on her shoulder and helped her off the ground.

Obi-Wan enjoyed teaching Younglings, it was easier than teaching Anakin. All the young boys and girls he tutored all grew to become soldiers and not the peacekeepers he told them they were.

"If we can't stop Grevious, then there won't be a next generation." Obi-Wan said, getting down to brass tax. Adi nodded and walked to the Hanger Bay.

* * *

 _ **Halls Of Healing**_

Anakin yawned, mindlessly flipping channels on the HoloNet. Getting wrapped up in the occasional soap opera, but since his Padawan was right next to him, he didn't didn't want to risk her ridicule and kept flipping through the listings.

"You don't have to stay here, Ashoka. I'll be fine." Anakin seen his Padawan's boredom. Ashoka's finger tips scrapping the wooden armrest of the chair, her head resting on her right hand.

The sliding doors opened, revealing it to be Chancellor Palpatine. His distinguished grey hair made him look younger than he actually was. Palpatine ordered his three guards to leave the room. He looked at his favorite Jedi laying helplessly on the hospital bed, a bacta wrap on his left cheek. Palpatine sensed Anakin couldn't wait to get out of here and back into the field. He dreaded being sidelined from The Clone Wars; feeling he was not doing his part to protect the Galactic Republic. Palpatine smiled gingerly.

"Master Skywalker, I am pleased to see you are looking well." The Chancellor shook Anakin's head. "We hope the siege on Christophsis was a success?" He asked. Anakin's expression turned stoic. "It was, Chancellor." Was all he was willing to say. Palpatine didn't pay much mind to it. He turned his head to see the Togruta Padawan standing not to far from Anakin.

"Pardon me, my lady," The chancellor began with faux politeness. "But could me and your Master have a moment to ourselves?" The Chancellor knew Anakin wouldn't like it if he was more forceful in pushing his Padawan out of the room. Ashoka looked to her Master for his approval. "You've been cooped in here long enough, you can go, Ashoka." Anakin said. Ashoka nodded and bowed, before exiting the room.

"Your Padawan is growing up, soon she'll be a Knight." Palpatine observed the Togruta's force capabilities, Anakin having no knowledge of this. "Ashoka strong with the force and has impressed me on numerous occasions, but she is still young." Anakin said, thinking back to when they started their relationship on Christophsis, he didn't even want a Padawan, certainly not one as brash and reckless as she was.

"Yes, but enough about that. I've come to talk to you about the state of the Republic." Palpatine sat down. "I've seen allot of Jedi admitted since the beginning of The Clone Wars." He added. Anakin looked away from the window that showed wounded Jedi's hobbling around.

"I know what our situation is." Anakin says coldly. "We're losing support across the galaxy, the Republic has defaulted on its debts to the Kamino cloners and the senate is voting for a resolution that will enact a Republic wide military draft to combat our lack of manpower." Anakin recited the many things he's heard his secret lover senator Padmé Amidala said to him on their nights away from the lights of the Jedi and politics.

In Palpatine's mind, he knew Anakin was right; and he was worried. Worried the war would end in the Republic's surrender, leading to Count Dooku establishing his empire to rival his Masters. The loose ends of General Grevious and Asajj Ventress. Palpatine sensed Grevious' trickery and wanted him dealt with. If the war is to be loss, Palpatine needed a backup plan and fast.

"Senator Amidala has been against the creation of the Clone army since the very beginning and now she is pushing for a law that would force men and women to serve." Palpatine expressed his disapproval. "Tsk tsk."

Anakin took offense to Palpatine's claim Padmé was a liar. "She didn't want to vote for an army that popped out out of thin air and I don't believe she would have voted for you to garnered emergency powers, either." He fiercely defends his wife's honor. "With all due respect, chancellor, senator Amidala knows what she's doing."

Palpatine hid a smile. He struck a nerve! Padmé means allot to Anakin, that's something to write down. "Would you have voted to give me emergency powers, Anakin?" He asks in a grandpa tone. Anakin took a hard look at the chancellor. They've known each other since Anakin's late teen years, he taught him everything he knows about politics and how it effects the Jedi.

"No." Anakin said with conviction, looking into the chancellors. "No, I would not."

* * *

 _ **Jedi Temple hallways**_

Ashoka left the Halls of Healing, she didn't want to wait outside for ages, while her Master and the Chancellor talked away the night.

"Meet friends, what friends?" She said to herself, very frustrated. Barriss has been traversing the galaxy for months, her other friends are either senators currently authoring a bill that will alter the entire Clone Wars or people on the Outer Rim territories, so none of them are stopping by for a visit anytime soon.

She decided to walk back to her quarters. It was getting late and she needed rest. She seen two teens conversing while watching the HoloNet. Taking an interest, Ashoka joined them.

"Hey, Ashoka, how's Anakin?" Jeri (human) asked, shaking her hand. He stood at 1.72 meters, his blonde buzz cut was neatly trimmed, Jeri wore a grey tunic, greying than overcast clouds. "He's okay, the medics said he should be out in less than a week." She said.

A Twi'lek breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew, that's good to hear, I heard when he came back the medical droids had to shoot him up with nullicaine?" Catherine asked. She stood about the same height as Ashoka, 1.6 meters. Her blue skin looked smooth and unfettered; obviously not seeing any battle in The Clone Wars will do that. Catherine sported a sports coat and a skirt very similar to Ashoka's, except this one was black to match the sports coat.

"They did." A very grave Ashoka said.

"What's going on?" She asked, referring to the action happening on the HoloNet. Jeri pointed to the fire engulfing downtown Coruscaunt. The newswoman spoke about what unfolding.

" _Wide scale riots against the senate and their handling of The Clone Wars, Coruscant burns brightly tonight. There have been no casualties, yet to report."_ She said. The video showed stores getting ransacked, people being ran out of their homes and citizens papers that made people who left the Separatist controlled territories for the Republic being burned. People shouted " _No war! No war!"_

 _"We're losing on all fronts; chancellor Palpatine and the Jedi have failed us and we won't have it anymore!"_ One man screamed, holding up a lightsaber as if it were a toy. He must have bought that on the black market.

Jeri couldn't stand to watch the news and turned off the HoloNet. "I barley recognize this planet anymore." He said, throwing the remote to the other side of the room. "First they want war, chanting ' _Down with Dooku'_ just months ago, and now, when things aren't looking so good they're looking for something to blame!" Jeri yells. Jeri's hands shook, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Jeri didn't accept that the Jedi were wrong in this management of the conflict with the Separatist. The Jedi always had the Republic's best interest at heart.

Catherine walked up to her friend, rubbing his shoulders and talked to him in a soothing tone. "We will make a difference." She tries to convince him, but to no avail. Jeri laughed off her notion. "Me and You?" He said, almost mocking his friends well intentions to find a bright side. "I don't know if you know this Cathy, but we're at the bottom of the totem pole in the Order. We'll never be Jedi's." He said defeated, sitting down holding his head in his hands. "I need to be alone now." Jeri said shooing Ashoka and Catherine away.

The two girls left the wry Youngling. "Sorry about that, Ashoka. Jeri can be very passionate. Guess that's why he isn't anybody's Padawan." Catherine said apologetically. Ashoka looked back at the still distraught Jeri. "Emotions aren't inherently bad, it's just a matter of controlling them." She said.

Catherine was confused at Ashoka's point. "But doesn't the Jedi Code say ' _There is no emotion, there is peace_ '?" Catherine countered Ashoka's assessment of the Jedi's leniency on emotion.

"But the original text was ' _Emotion, yet peace._ " She said back at her. Admittedly, it was a very vague text she was quoting and could be interpreted in many ways.

"Just because it is said differently, does not change the message." Catherine said. Ashoka didn't have a counter to that. "The Sith welcome emotion, their over acceptance of passion leads them towards the Dark Side." Catherine said. "It is an attempt to control the very force they manipulate." Catherine was always more brains than bronze, she knew so much about past Jedi Knights and Sith Lords, you could quiz her out of the blue and she'd give a detailed response to each of your questions.

Ashoka and Catherine decided to walk down the deserted Jedi Temple halls. Both girls could hear their boots squeaking across the dusty floors. The Temple felt like a ghost town, a place that hasn't been inhabited in ages. Funny, how fast war can thin the herd.

Catherine knew some friends that died in the war, as did Ashoka. Deep down, even though she'll never admit it, Ashoka feared Catherine and Jeri becoming Padawans and losing them in the conflict too. Catherine shared the same angst with Ashoka. Always brash, bold and reckless in her dealings with the famous Anakin Skywalker, it is a recipe for disaster.

Both walked down the halls, never saying a word to each other, just taking in the cold silence. Ashoka walked into where Master Yoda trained the very small Younglings. She and Catherine stared nostalgically at the gadgets they used to train with. "Remember when you wanted to learn to dodge blaster bolts and told me to shoot at you." Catherine laughed, digging inside a chest of Yoda's equipment.

Ashoka smiled, remembering fondly her drive to be the best often put her in danger. "Yeah, you weren't a sharp shooter." She teased. Catherine laughed so loud, she clamped a hand over her mouth, feeling embarrassed when making a sound of a cackling, mad woman.

She looked down at the old training lightsabers, rusting, probably not functioning. "It's a shame we had to grow up so fast, Ashoka." Catherine said with genuine sadness and guilt in her voice. Ashoka sensed her friends fret and comforted her.

She silently agreed with her that she was too young to be thrusted into the biggest conflict the galaxy has ever seen. But Ashoka wanted this. She lusted to prove herself and become a Jedi, ever since she was a wee child at the tender age of 4 when Master Plo found her on Shilli. Catherine may not been ready to fight in the war, but Ashoka always knew she was ready.

Catherine will be ready, Ashoka made a promise to herself she would be.

* * *

 **A/N: That's it! End of chapter 4. The premise has been set. The Republic is in shambles and the Jedi are loss and cannot use the force effectively and chancellor Palpatine is worried about his much grander plans.**

 **Like it or hate it, I want to hear your opinions on this chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5 Simple Man, Simple Needs

**A/N: I love gangster stories, especially when inserted into a kids show! That shit meshes well like Barney the dinosaur in a whore house.**

 **Omire Ku, notorious gangster of Lianos, hoping to regain control of the planet's various villages now under the thumb of the Separatist. His motives for helping the Republic are not altruistic, but nonetheless, the Jedi look to him for help, symbolizing how far they've fallen.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

"Alright, so we know what we're doing?" Omire asked the gang of human's. Art found it odd there was only one species in the room. The gangs leader Omire eluded to the point that the Separatist droids in the foundries shouldn't be operational, yet. Theorizing they had a window to rob the shipment of rocket launchers, heavy blasters and carbon rifles.

"Sneak in over the roof of he facility, take out the spotlights, find the droid with the security clearance to enter the armory and get out." Art repeated all the steps aloud. People sitting in front of him turned their heads to see the adolescent.

"Who are you?" Omire asked. His guards let their fingers creep on the handle of their blasters. He walked over to where Arturo was sitting and eyed him.

"I'm a friend of Brian's." Art pointed to Brian sitting right next to him. He kept his head under his coats. Omire looked at them both suspiciously.

"Is this true, Brian?" He asked. Brian snaked out of his coat, showing his face to the onlookers. He stuttered his speech for a half second.

"Uh, yeah, it is. I thought he could help." Brian said. You could interpret that to _"If you want, I could kill him."_ Anything to please the warlord. Art stood up to meet Omire's gaze, which wasn't easy considering Omire stood at 2.01 meters and Art barley stood at 1.67.

"Look, I'm the best shooter on Lianos. I've held my own against drive-by's, Seppies and pirates. If you let me stay on i won't disappoint." Art bet on himself and promised to not fail Omire. He looked at the boy curiously. Why would he want to risk his life for weapons?

"What do you want out of this arrangement?" Omire asked. His closed up eye puffing and stood out like a missing limb to Arturo.

"I want to get paid." Art put it bluntly that his allegiances was to the bronze dollar and not to a gang. This caused Omire not to pause, but to show genuine open arms for the new recruit.

"You're in." Omire shook Arturo's hand, the grip almost made Art yelp in the sudden bone clenching. "But if you lie to us!" A spotlight shined on Omire, he bellowed out his decree.

"We will not hesitate to put you down!" The gang said in chorus _"Here, here!"_ And held up their blasters to hammer the point home.

Art took his seat back, and Omire addressed his soldiers. "Thanks for the help." He said to Brian, in the most over the top sarcastic manner.

"Men, I'm not gonna lie, some of you may not return from this mission. But it is worth it to get the Separatist slime off our backs!" Omire started yelling like a righteous figure.

"I have spoken to the Jedi, they have sent two representatives to reimburse us for the ones that will not return. Soon we will exile the General Grievous and take back control of Lianos!" Omire holds out his fist like he was punching the air, the men did the same, rising up outta their chairs like they were possessed. Everyone but Arturo took the queue.

After the meeting, Brian took Arturo aside to speak to him. He looked angry, like he was the one being hung out to dry.

"You know, that was uncalled for back there." Brian stuck his finger in Arturo's chest. He slapped it away and shoved the more senior friend against the metal wall.

"Listen to me!" Art said with a mad gleam in his eyes. "I am in no mood for your games, I am not a two-bit gangster. I need the money far more than you do." Art laid down his reasons Brian should be grateful for his assistance.

"If you don't stick your neck out for me, even when I didn't ask to be a part of this mission..." Brian shoved Art this time, slapping him in the head.

"Don't embarrass me in front of my crew!" He hissed like a snake. Art took Brian's hands off him and spit in his face, he moved back off Art, wiping the saliva off his nose and eyes, teeming with anger towards the youngster.

"This isn't your crew, they'd kill you in a millisecond if they were paid to!" Art said and left the hallway. Again wondering how he gets roped into these conflicts.

 _ **Separatist Droid Foundries, Eastic**_

On this dusk day, the Omire Skull Group rolled up to the foundries where tons of Lianos slaves manufacture new updated battle droids. SBDs patrolled the roof of the building, three spotlights on the east, west and south sides of the area.

"Art, get out here." Omire ordered. Art got out of the backseat of the speeder and met Omire at the passenger window.

"There's three spotlights in there and SBDs. Their hearing is stronger in the nighttime." Omire's driver hands Art a DC-15x sniper rifle. Just like the Clones use. "There's a silencer at the end of the barrel, so you could miss one or two, but don't muck this up, all we don't have a full clip for this thing." Art nodded and looked up at a great vantage point in the grassy mountains about 2 kilometers north.

"What if everything pops off, half a clip ain't gonna be enough to survive." Art pointed out. The driver got a little agitated. Omire had a history of being trigger-happy.

Omire handed Art three EMPs and a DL-44 heavy blaster. "Here, and here's a ear-comlink so I can tell you what's going on and who to keep your sights on." Omire said, much to the relieved surprise of the driver. Strapping the sniper rifle around his left shoulder, Art began his walk.

"Hey, kid, you hear me?" Omire's raspy voice wriggled into Art's eardrum, making him cringe a little.

"Yeah, I hear you fine." Arturo answered. He fixed the ear-comlink. "So what you guys going to do?" He asked. The sun beaded down on Art's eyes, he heat making the wasteland feel more like an oven. Sweat glistened in the sun on his forehead. Taking his wrist to act as a towel, the sweat dripped off his bald arm.

"You're our guardian angel, Art. I want you keep watch over us, I'll tell you who and wear to shoot once you take out the spotlights and security droids on the bridge and rooftops." Omire trusted this person with the whole mission. Just a few hours ago, Omire didn't show any qualms with ending his life right in front of everybody.

"Uh, okay. Why are you letting so much ride on me. Didn't we just like, uh, meet?" Art asked. He seen he was only a few minutes from the vantage point.

"Because, all I got on my team is a bunch of wannabe high rollers. You on the other hand seem to have your head on straight. You ain't concerned with glory or being on my good side so I can do you any favors, cause I won't. All you want is money and i respect that." Omire confessed the reasons why he trusts Arturo with this mission.

"But, if you screw up, then we ain't going to be friends." Omire threatened, then went offline.

"Don't worry, I wasn't looking to make any." Art said, beginning to run up the green mountain. His shoes covered in mud; Art struggled to gain good footing because of last nights rain storm.

"Hey, Omire," Art said began, climbing up a steep hill. "Why's the Republic doing business with someone like you?" Art asked.

"Someone like me?" Omire acted offended, Art could see him clutch his chest in shock. "Are in insinuating that I am not legitimate to do business with?" He mockingly asked.

"Ah, right, the Jedi need weapons for their Clone army, but what really roped them into the deal with the promise of the whereabouts of General Grievous, heard of him?" Omire asked, Art shook his head.

"No." He said. Omire continued.

"Some warlord, apprentice of Count Dooku. Anyways, I don't have this information, but their ability to use the force is so out of whack, I'm able to take advantage of them." Omire gloated. "And let's just say, they don't want to pay him for the weapons, because I lied to them about Grievous, then we capture the Jedi and hold them for ransom." He finished, feeling real confident in his "superior" intellect for setting the Jedi up.

Finding a good vantage point on a grassy knoll, Art seen the complex perfectly from 17 kilometers away. His rifle could go that far in a millisecond.

"Omire, I'm in position." Art informed his boss.

"Great, kid, we're pulling up their now. Say when you can spot us through the scope." Omire told Art.

It was dark no doubt about it, the sun went down and the moonlight didn't serve as a worthy replacement. Art searched down two miles from the complex and found the trio lounging.

"I got you guys." Art told Omire, who tossed his deathstick and told his men to start walking.

"Alright, we're on our way there. Take out the all spotlights and security droids." Omire said. Art moved over to the complex and aimed for the spotlights.

"Remember, the only way to take down a Super Battle Droid is to get them in the big red eye." Omire warned Art.

"Uh, huh," Was all Art replied and rolled his eyes, letting two blast take down the spotlight and the droid that supervised the tower. Five seconds later, the next towers spotlight shattered, with its supervisor left in scraps and in another five the last tower was destroyed.

"Lights are off, sir." Art said proudly, soaking in his accomplishments before resetting his sights on the SBDs checking up on their guards.

"Hurry up, and take those metal suits out or this'll all be blown!" Omire commanded. Art shot one walking up the south tower and another walking up the west.

"Target acquired." Art said probably to himself at this point. Another three SBDs fell with efficiency. God, Art loved working the gun. It was the only thing he ever felt good at. Another two SBDs fell before they could spot their dead comrades. Taking down droids was routine for Art, ever since the Seppies strolled in, Art was the only one from his village that could take the tin cans out without killing himself.

"Great work, kid, I should have never doubted you!" Omire congratulated, waiving at Art, who seen him from the scope. Suddenly, the sirens went off, loud whaling that could be heard from where Art stood to Hoth.

Art's eyes widened after he saw that and feared the worse. Yup. Sniper. A droid sniper shot right towards his direction, hitting the top of the grassy mountain. Art slide back into cover and moved further right in an attempt to get away from the fire.

"You gave away my spot!" Art yelled at Omire. Realizing his mistake and dealing a sudden rush of panic, Omire ordered his men to shoot at the rooftop, hoping to take out the droid. Art seen this unfold from the corner of his left eye, not believing how stupid the idea was.

"Don't waste your ammo on a target your boys can't see!" Art shouted. The fire got worse and Art had to keep crouch walking away from the fire until he found a new place to shoot that wasn't nearly as good as the previous. The complex had a bigger west wall than south and in order for Art to get south, he'd have to slide down the mountain, dodge endless blaster fire and navigate through the minefields. Not happening.

"Remember who's in charge here kid!" Omire puffed his chest out. Art scoffed and shot the sniper droid, it took three shots to get him down and now he was holding an object at this point.

"I'm all out!" Art said, taking cover and withdrawing his blaster from his vest.

"They're all over us.." Omire said, the signal began to go out. "Wait, a garage is opening...oh, no!" Art held his index finger to his ear hoping to regain the signal.

"What? What?!" He yelled, moving away from the gunfire that was coming at him from three directions now. Art tried to shot at the snipers with his blaster, but the sight wasn't in good condition. Art cursed when he was nicked in the shoulder, groaning in pain and sinking back into his cover holding his bloodied left shoulder.

Then suddenly, the barrage of blaster shots stopped for a short second. The entire planet shook, Art seen the fire mushroom cloud engulfing the center of the complex. Taking his chance, Art dashed and tumbled down the grassy mountain and made his escape.

Outside the foundry, Omire's men sprinted out like they were running from a stamped of rancors. Tanks started exiting the complex, Art prayed to the Maker that Omire or Brian was the one piloting it. Two shots right a his feet later, Art realized the Maker hated him.

"They killed Omire!" One man shouted in ears length to Arturo. He took that queue and ran all the way back to his village with tanks and speeders chasing him down, picking off the men one by one.

It would be a long run home, about 45 kilometers. But he'd have to run for it, he had no choice.


	6. Chapter 6 The Risk for Ammunition

**A/N: This chapter is relatively short, sadly. But, there are two more chapters after this that either approach or exceed the 2,000 word mark. I ain't much for writing filler and this chapter, like others doesn't really have filler.**

 **Short description: The Jedi Council have sent Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Adi Gallia to the planet Lianos to investigate the whereabouts of General Grievous and his new super weapon. At the time, the Jedi cut a deal with somebody in the weapons trade underground to give the republic supplies to fight the Separatist and info on Grievous. Though they are distrustful of gangsters, the Jedi believe they could handle the job to get their hands on weapons.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 ** _Lianos_**

Snow started gently descending to the ground, it didn't stick, but the landing of the Republic cruiser wasn't made any easier by the difficult conditions.

Obi-Wan Kenobi exited the aircraft looking as elegant as ever. Clean brown robes over his white tunic and shoulder armor with the Republic shield on it, black gloves and a clean cut. Kenobi's trusted blue blade kept in the left side of his hip.

Master Gallia strolled out of the cruiser a little less confident than Obi-Wan. She her brisk pace to the meeting point highlighted her eternal panic. Obi-Wan sensed this through the force and tried to ease her nerves.

 _"Master Gallia, please."_ He said, communicating to her telepathically. Clone troops surrounded the two Jedi Masters; Adi did not want to project weakness, as did Kenobi to the Clones. Adi snarled at the attempt of comfort.

 _"Master Kenobi, I hope you realize the severity of our mission. We are trusting a band of gangsters to steal weapons from the Separatist and not gun us down and take the credits."_ She mentally said, keeping her stern stare forward. _"How are we supposed to know they were successful in their heist?"_ She pointed out the absurdity of what the Jedi were believing in order to gain arms to fight Grievous.

 _"But they also have Intel on the whereabouts of General Grievous' secret headquarters."_ Obi-Wan said. He was willing to follow any lead, no matter how risky. Obi-Wan also felt he could wrestle out of any situation after seeing so much action in the Clone Wars the last year-in-a-half.

"So they say," Adi had reservations. The Jedi have dealt with sketch figures in the past; the big advantage for them was Jedi were intimidating to all bounty hunters and smugglers in the galaxy. Nowadays, the war has stripped the Jedi of their invincibility status and now have fallen.

"We're approaching the location." Obi-Wan informed Master Gallia. She nodded, bracing herself for what the force will throw at them next, expecting another disaster.

"I sense a disturbance in the force." Adi warns Obi-Wan. He looks at her grimly.

"I sense it too, stay on your toes." Obi-Wan told Adi.

The two Jedi's and their Clone battalion of 50 troops entered a warehouse fifty clicks from where they landed. Dead battle droids decorated the ceiling, the now obsolete standard battle droids that the Jedi cut down without much effort. What was also on the ceiling was lightsabers falling on top of the Jedi. Dozens hitting the floor and the armor of the Clones.

"This is curious." Obi-Wan said. His voice is a little shaky, but for the most part keeping his composure. He sensed Adi's growing discomfort.

 _"What are you feeling?"_ He asked the Tholothian. She looked behind her, clipping the three lightsabers to her belt.

"These are the weapons of the fallen Jedi. I want to bring them to the Temple." Adi telepathically said to Obi-Wan. "General Grievous has been here." She said aloud, the Clones immediately withdrew their blasters, Master Kenobi sensed his presence.

"My ability to use the force on this planet is..." Obi-Wan began, before he heard the ignition of a blade and the painful screams of a solider. Obi-Wan yelled for his men to take cover, they did not heed his words, after all, these were men with the pride of a Mandalorian.

Obi-Wan and Adi ignited their blue blades and deflected the fire coming from surrounding SBD forces.

"We've been tricked!" Adi's hunches were correct and Kenobi was wrong to assume more from a planet run by gangsters.

Clones began biting the dust by the dozens until there was none of them left standing, leaving only the two respected Jedi Masters to duel with the droids.

"We can't stay here for long!" Obi-Wan grabbed Adi and ran out of the warehouse into a brigade of waiting SBDs and Droideka's aimed directly at them.

"General Kenobi!" A familiar sadistic voice came from the winds. "What a pleasant surprise." General Grievous pushed the droids out of his way and stood a few feet from the two Jedi's, eyeing Adi Gallia.

"And you've brought a friend, Master Gallia, is it?" Grievous inquires, stalking up and down, observing the two. "What brings you to Lianos?" Grievous asked.

The Republic hasn't bothered with Lianos in fifty-years, it's one of the reasons why Grievous decided to form operations on it, cause it posed no strategic military advantage, except.

"What are you up to Grievous, Dooku hasn't contacted you in weeks and neither has Asajj." Kenobi asked. He held his saber in a defensive stance, as did Adi. Grievous' right eye twitched a bit at the mentioning of his master.

"Don't worry, our relationship is still roses. Kenobi." Grievous sarcastically adds. "What I am doing here isn't your business, but you doing business with criminals...tsk tsk." He shook his head in disappointment.

"Your associate met a very unfortunate end." Grievous laughed manically.

He waived his claw of a hand and turned his back. "Deal with them." He commanded.

Back in both Jedi's minds they thought the same thing " _coward_." He'd let his battle droids do the fighting, show off and then hide. There was nothing admirable about this monster.

Course, Grievous wasn't leaving. He wanted to fight the Jedi, but he wanted to play a game first.

Kenobi used force push behind him to lock the droids in the warehouse, Adi did the same on the other side to scramble he SBDs and Droideka's, Kenobi and Adi fought back to back, making sure not to separate.

"We can't get to far from each other, Grievous isn't leaving and we can't take him down ourselves." Adi said to Obi-Wan, who concurred. The blaster fire became faster and more erratic, the two Jedi's arms began to tire from the constant force from deflecting the fire back at the droids.

Obi-Wan agreed, as the two finished off the last of the Droideka's and SBDs. Catching their breath the Jedi turned to see Grievous standing on the outs, patiently waiting for his worn down opponents.

"We're in no condition to fight." Adi said to Obi-Wan. "We'll have to fight him together." She whispered.

"I just said that." Kenobi points out, slightly annoyed.

"Where are you making your super weapon, General?" Kenobi asked, trying to think of a plan.

The wind started picking up, sand now blowing at a strong rate, Grievous even swayed a little. Kenobi shielded his eyes from the sand, as did Adi. The snow stopped falling. Adi noticed a Droideka's disconnected hand lying by her foot.

"Why would I tell you, Jedi?" Grievous said, igniting his two lightsabers. Adi used a ghost hand to throw the severed head at the general, taking him by surprise, he blocked it with his two metal arms, Adi capitalized on Grievous' momentary confusion and jumped him, Kenobi went right for the generals knees. The three locked blades, Grievous in a state of vulnerability, protecting both of his sides and his top and bottom half.

"Dooku isn't out of his tree like you, he'd never commission a weapon that magnitude to be built!" Kenobi interrogated the general. He coughed, using all of his power not to fall apart. Adi's blue blade pushed Grievous' green one closer and closer to his mask.

"The weapons you wield belong to heroes, you are unworthy to possess them." Adi taunted Grievous, letting her ambition get the best of her.

"How very unlike you Gallia, did you expect to return my trophies to their rightful dead hands?" Grievous noted the Jedi's other priorities.

Gallia pushed Grievous back, her and Obi-Wan commenced their offensive, Obi hitting low, Gallia hitting high. She attacked Grievous' two unhinged hands, leaving him without his trusted ace in the hole. Kenobi slashed Grievous' left knee, but the durasteel support made the damage only minor. Must have been a last minute addition to the suit. The general was able to recover and push to two Jedi off him to get some room, but they just kept suffocating him.

 _"Don't let up, Obi-Wan!"_ Adi communicated telepathically. Grievous is fast, but the way this fight was going, the general was losing ground fast, backing up twenty yards, not even getting a chance to take a swing.

Grievous was able to grab Kenobi by his face with his metallic claw foot and throw him a few yards, he landed harshly on a boulder, grabbing his sides in pain. Undaunted, the remaining Jedi Master landed a blow on Grievous' mask, damaging one of his yellow eyeballs. He shrieked in pain, backing away and dropping his only remaining saber. Adi slicked up his remaining two limbs.

The fierce Jedi hunter fell on his back, defeated and humiliated. The Tholothian held her blue blade right to the burned mask.

"You are under arrest, by order of the Galactic Republic." Adi stated. Grievous coughed a fit, his heart beating only a few times a minute. Adi seen he was a damaged "man".

"Tell me Jedi, do I get the right to an attorney?" He asked, turning his head to the right. Confused, Adi let her saber fall to her side. A red blade crashed through her chest, she whimpered in pain. The blade went right through her heart, it stayed in her, propping her up like some puppet on a string.

"Thanks for warming them up for me, general." Ventress teased the beaten apprentice. Her black spandex garb messing with the dark night.

Ventress called for her saber with the force, finishing off Adi. "Such a valiant fight put up by all of you." She says, mocking the generals cowardice. He couldn't handle two Jedi's on the brink of exhaustion.

"I'm starting to think Dooku needs to reevaluate his apprentices." Grievous sneered and hiss at the fellow apprentice.

"Just call my helper droid, woman!" He ordered. Ventress seen the elder Jedi laying uncounciuousess on the dirt.

"Dead?" She asked. Grievous shook his head. "This partnership is going better than I thought."

* * *

 **And the plot thickens...kinda. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Let me know in the reviews or just PM me. All criticism is welcome.**


	7. Chapter 7 Tougher Days Ahead

**A/N: Chapter seven is up and running. Hope you enjoy this. I guess you were expecting me to type the characters names in the authors note segment and joke around. Well, I did and it only made me feel lonelier than ever.  
**

 **Enjoy**

 **P.S: I combined what would be chapter 8 into chapter 7, cause it won't look to good to have a 1,600 word chapter.**

* * *

"How is it within five standard hours of landing on Lianos, we have lost Master Kenobi!" Mace Windu interrogated one of the guides that was supposed to lead the Jedi to the meeting point. The Kiffar shook, his voice unsteady and cowering.

"We tried telling...him...there was no deal, sir, master Jedi, but the transmissions wouldn't submit." The Kiffar tried to explain to Mace how the how the plan went to hell. "Omire is dead. The complex he tried to break into...the plan went awry and now separatists are advancing to the village where the gang came from." The Kiffar informed the Jedi.

In a fit of rage, an uncharacteristic trample with the dark side, Mace turned off the hologram and threw the device at the wall. Everything he's worked to achieve, about to be wiped out in a millisecond. He couldn't stand it. Master Yoda was more on edge, but he was more elegant. Windu worried about the 800-year-old Jedi, how much stress the war has put on his frail heart.

"My ability to use the force to protect me from the dark side has diminished. I'm a failure as a Jedi and a failure as a servant of the Galactic Republic." Mace said to himself. His skin felt like it was infected with frostbite. Mace couldn't move nor wished too.

Mace thought of a solution to get Obi-Wan out of Lianos. The only Jedi available for a rescue mission was himself and recently departed from the hospital Anakin Skywalker. Perhaps if they are more discrete and go undercover the results might be better? They couldn't afford to lose another Jedi Knight. With Obi-Wan lost and the recent death of Adi Gallia, the number of Jedi Knights in the temple went under 20.

Mace left his quarters and looked for Anakin. He took out his holoprojecter and sent a message to all remaining Jedi council members. "This is Jedi Master Mace Windu, I am to inform you the death of Master Adi Gallia and the disappearance of Master Obi-Wan Kenobi on Lianos. The planet is about to turn into a war zone. If any remaining Jedi in battle is near Lianos and has troops to spare, please contact me." Mace sent the message, hoping the Republic was actually winning a battle where the Generals and Commanders could spare some Clones.

Windu found Anakin sparing against a Magna Guard. A very fast paced sparring session, Anakin wasn't known to take it easy even when just leaving the medical chambers.

He wasn't aware of the presence he had in the training room either, grunting loudly with each strike. Having to turn the Magna Guard's difficultly level to high, it swung it's electrostaff hard at Anakin's torso, before he sliced it in two then delivered a cold decapitation. Out of breath, Anakin fell to one knee, holding his sides.

"That was a perfectly good piece of machinery you ruined, Skywalker." Mace chastised Anakin half-heartily. "I could hear you from the other side of the temple." Anakin got back up and bowed to his superior.

"Sorry, master. It won't happen again." Anakin apologized. His body wasn't up to full strength yet, and was hoping to push it back into shape ahead of schedule.

"How are you feeling?" Mace asked, observing Anakin's movements during the sparring session wasn't with the same quickness he usually brings to a fight. Last thing Mace needed was to drag around an injured Jedi on a mission to save another possibly injured Jedi.

"I'm fine." He said, hiding the pains in his left shoulder. He couldn't raise it up over his head. Anakin tried to hide it from Mace. "I heard of Master Obi-Wan's capture. I'm ready to get back into the field." Anakin informed the Jedi Master.

"Lianos isn't a place for your Padawan." Mace told Anakin. "It is going to be a war zone soon and not only is this a rescue mission, we're hoping to find General Grievous and his super weapon."

"I know it's not safe for Padawan Tano and I do not plan to take her. She still has much to learn." Anakin conceded. It's wasn't that he doubted his Padawan's abilities, but worried for her safety purely due to his poor condition and inability to protect her.

"We leave at dawn. There will be no Clones that we can rely on, we are the Republic's last hope." Mace said. The winnability of The Clone Wars has never been so slim.

"Expect battalions of Droideka's, SBDs and Magna Guards." Mace gave a heads up on what they are going up against.

"I miss the days when The Clone Wars was just Jedi versus standard battle droids." Anakin quipped. Mace said to meet later in the hanger bay.

Behind the walls of the training room stood Padawan Tano eavesdropping on the two Jedi's conversation. "I can't go?" She said to herself. It's too dangerous?" She questioned, a little furry running in her mind. "Why does he always doubt me, I can and have taken care of myself in the past." The Togruta complained. She felt her and Anakin's been through allot, and he should have vouched for her.

When Mace left Anakin to his training, she approached her Master, trying to hide her frustration. "Hi, Master." She said, faking a smile. "How's your shoulder?" She asked. The only person other than the curiously shut down medical droid that knows of Anakin's shoulder problem is Ashoka.

Anakin rotated it a little, grimacing at the attempts to break the invisible wall placed over his ear when trying to lift the arm. "I'm getting there." He assured her, but knew she didn't believe it.

"I heard you and Master Windu talking. Did Grievous kidnap Obi-Wan?" She asked Anakin. She'd usually refer to Obi-Wan in front of people as Master Kenobi, like how she'd call Anakin, Master Skywalker. But around Anakin she could be more casual.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't rule it out." Anakin said, being uneasy, knowing that if the Padawan heard them talking, she heard the other topic of conversation too.

"So why am I not allowed to go to Lianos?" She asked him. Anakin looked away, hoping the lie he was about to speak wasn't going to be challenged.

"It's a dangerous, hostile planet, Ashoka." He said. That part is true. "I don't want to see you get hurt and me and Master Windu can handle it." Ashoka knew that was a lie. She sensed Anakin's fear of failure on the upcoming mission. They didn't have any leads but the trail Obi-Wan left behind for them.

"Really?" She sounded unconvinced. "So two Jedi and one of them is hurt, no clones and no backup for if things go wrong.-" Anakin cut her off. Raising his hand to her, signaling to stop.

"This isn't a random mission, this is to save the Republic and yes, we don't have support and no, there is a plan, but if we don't act now, whatever Grievous is making he'll use on Coruscant." Anakin tried to reason with the feisty Padawan, only to push her further into her beliefs.

"All the more reasons why I should come with." _Stubborn like her Master_. Anakin thought to himself. He started to understand why Obi-Wan thought it be a good idea to train Ashoka.

He tried to put his foot down, much like a father to a rambunctious child not wanting to get to bed. "You're not going, end of discussion." He scurried away, like a wamprat. Not the way Anakin wanted to leave the debate, but there was nothing he could say to win her over. Bottom line was he didn't want to lose her like he lost his mother and possibly his Master. He only could hope Ashoka sensed his worry and take it as genuine.

But she didn't. She took his rebuke of her as an underestimation of her abilities. "Not ready..." She said to herself, blood boiling inside. "We'll see." An idea hatched in her brain. This was far from over.

* * *

Anakin walked back to his quarters, taking out his comlink. "Hello." He called. The quarters were cramped in the Jedi Temple. All lacking space to do even the most basic stretches. It reminded Anakin of a military bunk bed situation, rather than a temple housing peacekeepers.

"Annie!" Padmé said, excited her husband called her, fearing the worse when she heard of his critical condition. "I heard what happened on Christophsis!" She said. Padmé wanted to leave her diplomatic duties on Onderon to visit, but that would've blown their cover, Anakin didn't want that.

"I'm fine." He said, not wanting to talk about that. "I'm going on a rescue mission to Lianos." He said. "To get Obi-Wan." He filled Padmé in on the chaos surrounding the republic.

"The senate is debating whether to strike up a peace deal with Dooku and let the star systems leave. Chancellor Palpatine has been open to it." Padmé said. The stanches defender for keeping the war effort going was close to advocating peace? This unnerved both the senator and Jedi.

"I'll try talking to him, maybe I can convince him otherwise." Anakin said, now just remembering his feelings when entering the Halls of Healing and seeing all the young and old Jedi's waiting for intensive care. "But..." His mind trailed off.

"But what?" Padmé said, soothingly, trying to get her husband to calm his mind. Anakin always liked hearing Padmé's voice, even if it was over the comlink.

"Maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing for this war to end and visit the separatist situation another time." He said. Being pulled by both sides now, Anakin tensed up at what his wife's response would be. Shock? Anger? Disgust?

"I've thought the same thing." She confessed her sporadic apathy in keeping the biggest war in the history of the Galactic Republic going. "But then I think about what Dooku will do if he wins. What Grievous could do in a situation where he rules over billions." That was enough to make Anakin purge any ideas of surrender down the toilet.

"You better talk to the chancellor about that, Annie." Padmé knew the supreme chancellor did not feel the same way as Anakin.

"You know I'm not good with politics, Padmé," He said humbly. "Before I met you I supported a fascist dictatorship!" He tried to wiggle out of this. He liked the chancellor, he was wise and always kind to him. But whenever talks of how taxation and banking connected to The Clone Wars being fought, Anakin's eyes usually glazed over.

Padmé laughed so loud, Anakin had to smoother the comlink to make sure nobody outside of his quarters heard. "You've changed allot since then, Annie. You're smarter and more thoughtful than that nineteen-year-old boy I fell in love with." She said sincerely.

Anakin hated when she talked like that. It made him wish she was here with him right now. It also made him melt into her palms. "Okay, I'll talk to the chancellor." He gave in.

Padmé thanked him. "The chancellor trusts you allot, I tried talking to him, but he always asks about you." She said. When Anakin talked to the chancellor he always inquired about Padmé. He knew they were married, yet promised to say nothing to the Jedi. Anakin knew he was in debt to him. That's what scared him.

* * *

The doors to the chancellors chambers slide open, the sound always gave Anakin chills. He associated it with a pet going to the vet for a spontaneous "checkup".

"Anakin! What's surprise." The grey haired, esteemed chancellor rose up out of his seat to shake the hand of his long time friend. "How's Padmé?" He asked, like he always does.

"She's fine chancellor, her and King Dendup have been speaking about a possible agreement that would allow the Onderan militia to serve with the Republic." The chancellor laughed and poured out a drink.

"Old Ramsis still alive." He joked about the King's advanced age. "He's older than I." Anakin sensed something deeper occupying the chancellors mind, but decided not to pursue it.

"Yes." He cleared his throat. "I wanted to talk to you about the situation on Lianos." He tried to steer the conversation to the matter at hand.

"Ah, yes. Our oldest Republic member, has not housed a force-sensitive in almost a millennia." Palpatine randomly brought up. Anakin raised an eyebrow and cocked his head a bit to the side.

"How did you know that?" He asked. The chancellor raised up his heads and smiled.

"When you're around the Jedi as long as I am every day, you pick up a few tidbits here and there." He explains. "I've heard of Master Gallia's death and of the Jedi's loss of Master Kenobi." Palpatine changed the subject.

"Master Kenobi is not dead, yet, chancellor. But he might he if you don't help us." Anakin pestered the chancellor to send his support. Palpatine sighed, showing a look of utter defeat.

"My boy, the Galactic Republic is stretched thin as it is. We are losing star systems left and right; Clones dying by the thousands. I'm afraid my hands are tied." Palpatine said. Anakin called foul on that.

"You are the supreme chancellor of the Galactic Republic, which has stood for over a thousand generations. Clothes in immense power. You can do anything you want." He challenged the chancellor just as his Padawan challenged him.

"Alright, Anakin, I will try to-" Anakin jumped out of his chair and point a finger at the chancellor.

"You will do!" He commanded. "That's my Master out there and I would very much like to have him back, alive." He left the chambers, Palpatine promising help for his rescue mission.

When the doors slid shut, all that was left was Palpatine. He dimmed the lights and sank in the dark.

"All my ends are getting loose." He spat out, shaking a little. "I will not let my plan be undone by some power hungry savages." He spoke to only himself. Slowly going madder and madder.

Deep down, his mind was filled with panic. He knew he went wrong somewhere along the line, he gave too much freedom to those he's employed and tried to wrangle under his influence. Palpatine never thought of himself as a feeble old man, but this is the closest he's ever felt to that label.

* * *

Uncertainty dominated Kerry's mind. The prison block at its highest population since the Separatist takeover filled with messed up kids and old men protesting their sons and daughters arrest. What did this have to do with the cause she didn't know. The way the workers keep their heads to their screens, try to blend in the scenery praying the mad general or the assassin didn't acknowledge their existence shook her. Fear dominating the decisions she made, as opposed to substance.

Resident of Lianos, Kerry wanted to prove anybody can escape the burbs of Miro, drenched in gang warfare; police officers on the take and an indifferent government. She wanted to give back to the people that felt they were boxed into a story that always would have the same ending. Guns, drugs, money flying around the place like a stock exchange. The illusion of getting farther in this life, friends flaunting their bronze like it would buy them time before facing their makers.

"Ms. Klingston, the Asajj Ventress is here to see you." One of her men informed. Kerry nodded, handing him her datapad.

"Here. Go." Was all she said, knowing the assassin didn't need permission to go inside her quarters. The Dathomirian entered the room, the worker shielding his eyes and sneaking around her body to not touch the skin. She took pride in the fear she created, but Kerry knew it wasn't anything about her that brought fear, just the power. No different than a gangster with a loaded gun.

"What is your role here?" She asked, running her bony fingers along the control panels, Kerry theorized she was about to free the prisoners. That didn't scare her. They come banging against her door she'd face the end with ease.

"Nuclear chemist. Count Dooku trust me to have a weapon ready in the coming year." She's been working to create a nuclear weapon for two years since the inception of the Clone Wars.

"Why did my master invest so much time into this?" Asajj questioned, finding it unlike her master to put all his eggs in one basket.

"I believe it was to be used in a time like this where the Republic is on its last leg and to deal the knockout blow." Kerry answered, showing Asajj footage of what the last test run of the bomb did. "This was taken five months ago, the detonation took place in the fizhar desert."

The destruction was worst than in Doryia. The mushroom cloud went out of the planet's atmosphere, being visible from space. A ship just passing by could have seen the blast. When the smoke cleared, all that was left in the desert was black sand, dead rats and snakes and a forever contaminated area.

"How did you not get caught by the Jedi?" Asajj asked. She looked at the weapon in awe, it was more powerful than the malevolence, just less mobile. She imagined the trouble it would be to transport to the target if were it to be on another planet, but then she thought that a weapon that strong couldn't be just shot down in space without a poor bystander planet/system dealing with the effects of the weapon. It would be like having a bomb strapped to your chest in a bank with hostages.

"We've gotten some breaks to for sure, but we've made sure their intelligence was falsified and all communications on the planet that would go out to other planets were jammed." Kerry told the assassin. Asajj started to understand why Dooku kept the human around.

"You're very useful, Klingston. See to it you stay that way." Asajj complimented/threatened. Kerry just stared at her blankly and gave a choked thanks.

"Where is Kenobi held?" Asajj asked, now more interested in interrogating the Jedi. Kerry gave her the cell block and number.

"Cell number is 1039, fifth floor." She handed Asajj the card to that particular cell. When she left and big breath was let out by Kerry, fearing the worse. She ran her creamy hands through her sweaty red hair, she did well to hide her perspiration around the Sith, knowing how they react when they sense fear.

"They say authority is power; I just felt vulnerable." She said to herself sorrowfully, going back to her work.

* * *

The assassin witnessed the great Jedi knight Kenobi suspended in midair, held by force restraints. The song and dance number always experienced repetition. They've both been on the other side of these scenarios, usually by chance.

Kenobi wasn't going to giveaway anything on the Republic or the Jedi's plans other than their intent to stop Grievous' weapon. _Won't be Grievous' for long._ She thought.

Walking up to the still unconscious Jedi, Asajj slapped him right on the cheek. "Wake up!" She spit on him to add to the affect. His head whipped from side to side, his brain scrambled to find out where he was and what happened. It soon came back to him, but the memory was mostly hazy.

"Ventress." Kenobi said like he was exchanging a greeting with an old acquaintance. "I should have expected Dooku would exhaust all his options to protect his plan." Obi-Wan didn't have any sarcasm in his voice, it was plain honesty.

"You know, this reminds me allot of the malevolence." Kenobi pointed out with a sly smirk creeping on his bearded face. Asajj rolled her eyes and shocked the Jedi with the restraining bolts, he groaned in pain, but the body was used to this punishment by now.

"This isn't like the malevolence." She said with conviction, making fun of the Jedi's arrogance. "Don't think we've learned from that experienced. And your side isn't as strong as it was then." She pointed out to her prisoner.

Kenobi's body settled after being shocked to take in what she said. He looked at the flickering control panels near the door signaling its low power. He knew Ventress couldn't electrocute him again.

"Yes we have fallen on harsh times." He conceded. "But, as long as there's a Jedi willing to fight your oppression than this war goes on." Obi-Wan said defiantly.

Asajj formed a glowing smirk. How the Jedi thought they were above her likes, pleased her to no end. "You sound more like solider than a peacekeeper." She pointed out to the contradictions of the Jedi for merely participating in this war.

"And you are nothing more than a servant in own worse nightmare." Kenobi shot right back. "I merely serve the kingdom of the force, you seek to ruin it."

Disgusted, the Sith assassin began to leave the cell. "Get some rest, Kenobi. You're going to see some things that'll make you quit." She threatened and left.

"Anakin, hurry." Obi-Wan worryingly said, wondering what Asajj meant by that. What could she have possibly shown that Kenobi hasn't already seen? He knows of the nuclear weapon. Then it dawned on him. His greatest failure is nigh.

Ashoka walked the temple hallways, kicking up dust. "I can't believe he left me here." Ashoka pouted. What was she to do? Let her master go on a dangerous mission that he might not come back from? Just her luck, she seen R2-D2 rolling down the same hallway with another R2 unit. Hatching her scheme right there, the Togruta Padawan walked up to Artoo like it was a lost child.

"Hey, buddy." She starts off gently. "I was wondering if you know how to *whispers*." The R2 unit nearly screamed at what was said. What Ashoka was suggesting gets her court marshaled and droids like him deactivated.

"I know it's dangerous." She tried to calm him down so he wouldn't draw attention to her. "Anakin isn't ready to go back into the field, but his pride and friendship with Obi-Wan won't let him take a respite.

"But so is letting Anakin go by himself to fight on a planet like Lianos." She asked him again if he'd help her. Artoo let out a low beep, communicating his reluctant agreement.

* * *

 **Jedi Temple central security station**

The two made their way pass the guards in the facility, via multiple Jedi mind tricks that Ashoka was getting better at using. Anakin told her to only use it when necessary, but Ashoka was more lax on unleashing the tactic that never seemed to fail.

Artoo warned Ashoka of the four clones in the security station watching the hallways lazily. Must explain why nobody ever walked up to her and said "Hey, why are using a Jedi mind trick on my clones?"

Ashoka held Artoo next to her behind a wall, right next to the room. She cleared her throat and spoke very gruffly. "Boy, boss said to clock out early." She did her best imitation of a clone. When neither of them moved at her words she added "Now!" They rose outta their seats, collected their belongs and exited the premises.

"That was easy." She shrugged to Artoo. Ashoka rubbed her throat, feeling it scratch. "Think i'm losing my voice." She muttered to herself.

Artoo rolled to the main frame computer. "Alright, I need you to disable camera five and seven in the hanger bay." Ashoka knew that's where the _Twilight_ would depart and hanger seven is where her ship the Delta-7B resided.

Artoo tried to jam the security system, trying to get access through the Republic's firewalls. They both jumped back when all the cameras went off at once. Artoo slowly rolled away from the main frame computer, very dazed.

"Are you okay?!" She asks the droid, who shutdown on her momentarily before rebooting. "I'm sorry," she apologized for using the droid. "What happened?" She seen the data port was fried. Artoo scurried back looking ashamed. Ashoka knew what happened.

"You used your electroshock prob instead of your data probe." She said surprised the droid would make that kind of mistake. When the Padawan stared at the blue frames, they were nothing but black screens.

"Come on, they should reboot in a little while, we don't have time!" Ashoka helped the droid leave the facility.

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, so I got a character I can talk too. His names Philip. Say hi, Philip. *types in Philips name and tries to come up with snarky remark, but just sits alone in the darkness waiting for death.***


	8. Chapter 8 Risk Takers

**A/N: Chapter 8. Didn't think with my work ethic I'd get this far. Well my life is all about defying the odds. Which is why I intend to sink as humanly low than anybody has ever before to get views. Don't doubt my desperation.**

* * *

This had to be the longest retreat a gang ever had to do; Arturo counted 10 kilometers. His legs were unpredictable, they'd alternate from being heavy as lead or being gimpy as a noodle. Omire's boys were getting run down one by one; Arturo shoved down the demand from his body to stop, knowing it'll mean the end. Suddenly getting involved with these gangsters just to prove points and make some money didn't seem worth it anymore.

Arturo dodged a tank blast that hit a tree next to him sending it fall directly in his path. He thanked the maker and navigated around the road block that barricaded the tank. Arturo used to the force to attract a EMP grenade from another runners belt and threw it at the trapped tanker, disrupting its system.

"One down, two to go." Arturo said to himself. Through all the chaos, Arturo seen a speeder coming right towards the middle of the action. Dumbfounded, Arturo remained still, worried that if he moved the erratic driver would hit him.

When the hood was lifted up, Arturo's face gleamed. "Margot!" He said appreciatively, hoping in her vehicle. She took out her pistol and shot three SBDs closing in on Arturo's side right in the red eye. "Thanks!" He said.

"Thank me when we're out of this!" She turned right back for the village. "What have I been telling you about Omire, he's a doofus with a mouth!" Margot scolded the teen for his idiocy.

"Something along those lines I think." Arturo tried to remember. He stole "slugs" from her glove compartment and shot the biker droids on their tail. Margot knew Arturo needed a better shot and hit the breaks, the bikes flew right pass the two and Arturo disposed. His satisfaction was short lived.

"Why don't I just tell your mother, Art?" Margot threatened. She never liked Arturo hanging with these crowds, it disgusted her to no end, knowing he could be better given his force abilities, yet he chooses to be a two-bit gangster with them.

"Because you wouldn't want to give her a heart attack." He answered her question. The trees in the forest began to close in on the path Margot was driving on, the reason she couldn't just leave the forest is it provided good camouflage and the limited space didn't allow Margot to swerve and maneuver.

"You couldn't have picked a better place to run home with your tail between your legs!" Margot barked at Arturo, who was beginning to feel bad for dragging his friend into this.

"Our home was invaded by the separatists, the village surrendered and is now under their occupation." Margot enlightened Arturo what his actions caused. "But it wasn't all your fault, the Republic sent a band of soldiers and two Jedi, one died and the soldiers opened fire on the city." Margot told Arturo the Separatist claimed control of Lianos for the whole war, and they violated code by attempting to take it back.

Arturo couldn't make sense of it in his head. He kept current with the Clone Wars and learned never to trust either sides PR.

"You gotta choice, Art," Margot laid out two options for him. "We can go to the village, pick up your and my family and leave, or we can help evacuate the area?" She told Arturo, admitting to her indecisiveness. "We're outgunned and outmanned." She added.

Arturo weighed out his options, he wanted to get his sister out. He also felt responsible for taking the lid off this disaster.

Margot leaned in and said calmly. "That thing in your head telling you which decision is the most you feel uncomfortable with, that's probably the right thing." She said. Arturo resisted the urge to jump out the speeder and take his chances running on foot. Knowing Margot was right, that this was bigger than him he nodded to her.

"We got two tanks on our backs." Margot went into her bag and pulled out a thermal detonator, which shocked Arturo to the point where he first refused to touch it. Margot coaxed Arturo into taking the weapons.

He only needed one to bring down the entire forest, flaming trees started falling one by one, suffocating the separatists, but forcing them to be more agile when navigating out of here.

"Gee, what a great idea, Margot." Arturo said, believing this was the day he'd die. Margot scoffed.

"Please, would you rather deal with those tankers?" She attempted to justify the outcome.

When the fire stopped blazing, the forest was in their rear view, the passenger could breathe easy. "Thank the force for you." He graciously thanked Margot.

"It'll be a while till we get to the village, and there doesn't look to be any separatist on our skins, why don't you rest up, kid, you're gonna need it." Margot suggested to a happy to oblige Arturo.

* * *

Tailgating your masters ship, while using cloak, stealing his R2 unit and risking expulsion for defying him and a council member isn't easy. All have horrible endings, but Ashoka didn't want to risk losing her master.

Artoo explained to Ashoka his fears of this treasonous mission. "We're not doing anything 'treasonous', we are going to help my master stop Grievous and go home." She states, trying to expel any fears she has herself about doing this.

Artoo said it wasn't too late to turn back and forget the whole thing; for Ashoka, this is something she knew had to be done. She rushed to justify and also disprove her notions that Anakin needed saving.

As her starfighter flew further and further from Coruscant, the realization that she was overstepping her bounds seeped in. Ashoka felt claustrophobic in the aircraft, she'd open up a window for air if it wouldn't suck her out into oblivion.

"We'll be fine." She repeated to herself, taking long deep breathes, remembering her training for when her mind raced. _Trust the force._ A line her elders taught her, she just didn't know if the force had any reason to trust her.

* * *

 **Aboard the Twilight**

Anakin nursed his injured body on one of the custom beds while Mace piloted the ship. Easing an ice pack his partially dislocated shoulder.

"Take healing classes, Ani, you'll need them." Anakin mimicked his wife's rightful nagging.

"No, it's fine, Padmé, I won't need it." He berated himself.

"What good am I on one shoulder? I should have just let Ashoka come, but it would have been too dangerous for her." Anakin's mind went from regretting his decision to leave Ashoka on Coruscant to supporting his prior resolution. It's not that he didn't trust her, he did. He saw potential in her to become a respected knight. But she's so young. Another tool for Sith Lords, bounty hunters and criminals to play with if they wanted to get at him. He didn't need to be a hazard to another poor soul that didn't need him.

"Can't lose those closest to me. I just want to leave." He said to himself, making a wry face when he felt his shoulder worsen. Missions used to be Anakin's butter, but ever since the battle above Naboo and the shifted tides of the war, he knew he was one droid blast away from losing it all.

Anakin tried to study the Lianos maps, multiple versions involve the planets capital in Isic on the south side of Lianos, then another said it is in Phyric on the north side. Mace stepped into the room, seeing Anakin struggle with the maps.

"Lianos went under numerous reconfigurations. The capital building has been moved three times over the last five years. My sources tell me it is now in Lial." Mace pointed to the location of the capital in the eastern part of Lianos.

"That's where we need to go." Mace read up on the capital building. Housing the scummiest politicians in the galaxy. "Everybody is on the take whether it be from separatist officials or crime lords or both. So stay on your toes, Anakin." Mace informed the younger Jedi about their situation.

* * *

Arturo's body floated in the dark. Lifeless. Arturo felt at peace for the moment, just peace and quite. Can't put a price on that. It was short lived, voices came out of the dark depths. Words flying so fast Arturo made every effort to listen, only catching bits and pieces.

 _"You're still wasting your time!"_ One angelic voice scorned him. Oh, great, this again. "You have such potential." It said. A small light went around Arturo's body, wrapping him up like a mummy. He muffled, struggling to break free from his binds.

"Relax." Was all the feminine voice said to him. "And close your eyes." Arturo did as he was told, taking deep breaths and closing his eyelids. He felt the chains loosen from his body and slide off like dust. When Arturo opened his eyes he seen his family at the dinner table.

His little sister Rooney looked clean, red hair reaching her back, combed neatly. Wearing a white and blue dress, digging into a plate of crispy bacon. Through all of the stuff Arturo did to earn money, he always made sure to see Rooney twice every day. Once in the morning and once at night.

Arturo seen his parents like they were illusions. He can't remember the last time they all sat down at the dinner table eating together. Usually his father is caught up at work, same for his mother. Arturo noted his parents looking well rested and fresh and happy.

"Hey, Art, why don't you sit down with us?" His father asks him. Arturo takes a seat, a hot meal waiting for him. "How was school today?" His father asked. His communicator rang, but he pressed decline.

"Don't you want to get that?" Arturo asked. The elder shook his head.

"I'm listening to my son at the moment." He smiled at Arturo, tussling his hair. "Now, how was school?" He asked again.

Arturo can't remember the last time he entered the forsaken place of medal detectors, shoddy teachers and kids who could care less complicated math equations in place of learning how to do things applicable to the real world.

"You know, it's fine." He shrugged, looking to change the subject. "What about you?" He asked. His father was balding...well, bald. A ring of blonde hair kept him from being completely bald.

"Just.." The communicator rang again, he cursed and apologized for leaving the table to take the call. Arturo's mother assured him it was fine.

His mother scooted next to her son and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you got out of this place." Arturo was confused as to what she's talking about.

"Got out?" He struggled to understand.

A medal clanking against the chair made Arturo look down. A lightsaber. A force users weapon.

"I don't understand." He said to himself. His mother stroked his hair and brought him in for a embrace.

"You will, son." Was all she said before everything melted away. Arturo closed his eyes, taking in the comfort. Hearing the voices call his name. " _Art...Art...Art..._ "

Arturo's eyes shot open, Margot was shaking him violently. "Art, wake up!" Margot shook him. "We're coming up on the village." She gave him her blaster to be protected.

"Get ready." Arturo loaded the blaster with "slugs". Witnessing the fire surrounding the village and what seems to be an endless slew of battle droids causing the mayhem.

"We need to throw these Seppies out!" Margot showed her rage towards the opposition. Arturo couldn't focus, his mind still on his dream. _What was that?_ He wondered.

* * *

 **A/N: Three character check ins and a dream sequence. A bit unfocused, I know. But it'll all be woven into a coherent story. Promise. Hope you enjoyed, review if you like, be completely truthful and honest. Thanks for reading and have a nice day.**


	9. Chapter 9 Shot down

**A/N: A new chapter means more things happening. Well, this chapter is guaranteed to have things happen!**

* * *

The sun rose from its underground cocoon, shining brightly on the repulsive fight between robots and poor villagers. Young men dying by the hundreds in attempt to defend their farms and families from devastation. The droids promised to relocate the citizens to a camp. The villagers knew that was a lie and started hurling rocks at the battalion of SBDs, not even making a dent in their durasteel metal. Some were armed and proceeded to pump blasters at the fiends with no mind paid to the risks, but their untrained wit got them mowed down like the casual citizen. Same goes for the next villager trying to play hero.

Margot drove her speeder around t

he village, her and Arturo clearing the roads of SBDs and Droideka's. Giving the civilians a chance to escape. Margot stopped the speeder on the side street, handing Arturo ammunition.

"Go find your family, I'll drive around and see what I can gather." Margot said. Arturo got out of the vehicle and leaned on the door.

"Thanks again, Margot." Margot nodded then handed Arturo a few more EMP grenades before speeding off in the distance. Taking a deep breath, the teen went into the belly of the beast, endless gunfire from all directions and soon to be coming from the air.

The separatist invaded the village with not much efficiency. There wasn't a straight line of droids marching, instead scattered all around the village, waiting to jump on somebody. Arturo shot down three droids that were chasing a family of six to a transport, the family didn't look in Arturo's direction, they only boarded the buses.

"At least there are prepared transports out here." Arturo thought.

Arturo ducked three shots incoming for his cranium, shattering his eardrums. He shot back at the left SBD and flanked the Droideka preoccupied with assaulting a ragtag group of minutemen, and rolled a EMP grenade behind its back. It shutdown instantaneously.

The minutemen came out of their cover, seeing Arturo standing above the deactivated Droideka. "Art?" One man said confused. Arturo turned his head and saw his father. The minutemen wore rags, as did he. Their weapons rusted and needing great effort to fire just one shot.

"Art, I don't want you getting mixed up in this!" The father approached his son, trying to drag him off to a safe haven away from all the action. Arturo shook his arm out of his dad's hold and stared up at the 2 meter tall man.

"Where's Rooney?" He asked. The fathers face turned dire. His mind wandered into obscurity, getting off the more important matter at hand. Arturo wouldn't let him and pressed on.

"Tell him Vernon!" One man ordered, he walked up to Arturo and slapped him on his backside. "Thanks kid, I thought we were dead meat back there."

"Thanks, Lee, glad to see you and dad still have your gun club in tact." The compliment bounced off Arturo, more focusing on where the rest of his family is.

"There was a explosion that shook our house, I couldn't see or hear anything. When I got out, your mother and sister were dragged off by the separatist in different directions." Vernon looked through his son, not wanting to see the look on his face. Arturo knew the shame Vernon is going through, and just walked away.

"Where are you going?!" Vernon asked, his friend is equally befuddled. "You need shelter and a team around you!" The other man pleaded for the boy to get protection.

"I already got protection." Arturo eyes had a menacing look, he wouldn't find his family here, they either boarded the buses or got taken away by the separatist. But that uncertainty won't stop him from preventing others from suffering the same fate. Shooting down a biker droid, Arturo drove off.

"That boy isn't meant to be here, Vern." The minuteman pointed out. Vernon stifled, regathering his bearings and ordered his men to move out.

"I know. That's what I'm afraid of." He said, his eyes forming a thousand-yard stare. "I've been telling Art for years to stay out and he's getting into the thick of it." Wringing his hands, Vernon packed up and moved his men out.

Both Arturo and Vernon seen the destruction taking place overhead, the Republic fighting the separatist head on, they both indicated. Expecting a big army to go up against the blockade. Two ships came flying downwards from two different sides of the planet it seemed. Arturo took note and started to run towards the ship, sensing actual life.

"What do we do boss?" Lee asked Vernon about the bigger aircraft. "Might be holding clones and supplies." Lee sold Vernon on going after the possible republic ship, while his son went after the other aircraft.

* * *

The _Twilight_ rocked back and forth, ion cannons blasting away the shields, it's power went from 90% to 60% to 40%.

"We're gonna need something here!" Mace shouted, eyeing Anakin in hopes the great star pilot would have a trick up his sleeve. Right behind them, unknowingly, was a Delta-7B Athersprite-class carrying Anakin's Padawan and R2 unit. Dealing with the separatist blockade with more tribulation.

"Those droids really stepped their game up." Ashoka commented, as buzz droids opened the star fighters computers and cut the wires. The Togruta pushed multiple buzz droids off her fighter with the force and scraping the bottom against the separatist frigate.

"I learned from the best." She had a little braggadocio in her voice, R2 read into that as arrogance. " _No_ , I'm not arrogant!" She retorted to the droid.

Anakin was now manning the ships rear side guns, while Mace piloted the _Twilight._ "What are you doing, Skywalker?!" The senior Jedi called out to the eager Jedi.

"Somebodies gotta watch our backs!" Anakin said, hiding the scorn in his voice from his superior. Firing three ion blast out of the turret at the droid piloted fighters.

"Shields down to 20 percent!" Mace informed Anakin, he shot one droid fighter from their tails, but it wasn't falling, it accelerated towards the _Twilight._ Anakin ran out of his station, being pushed by the blast. The _Twilight_ shattered while descending towards Lianos.

"Master!" Ashoka cried out, trying to sense if her master was really dead. A small part of the ship remained in tact, she hoped that be housing the two Jedi's. Just as she was about to track it down, Artoo panicked, warning Ashoka of an upcoming torpedo. With a flip of a switch the droid sent the Delta-7B in high gear downwards towards Lianos, gaining distance from the _Twilight's_ wreckage.

"What are you doing, Artoo?!" She frantically asked. The torpedo made contact with the delta anyway, destroying one of its twin engines. "We're hit!" The Togruta tried to pull the ship up, but the buzz droids managed to do some damage before sailing off to the steering.

"Blast!" She cursed. "Artoo, can you rewire the steering?" She asked, allot of angst in her voice. The R2 unit took out his tiny blowtorch and went work under the hood. Ashoka watched the status of her ship's health from the screen on her right side.

"Still got no steering, Artoo!" She was aghast now, pleading with the astro droid to hurry. The data screen switched from red to green, signifying the return in steering.

"Thanks!" She hastily said and pulled the delta up before its nose collided with the ground. They weren't able to get significantly off the ground enough to prevent a crash, the delta smashed into the cold dirt, the impact sent the Togruta's head against the glass and the R2 unit popping out of his station, landing so hard his left leg popped out of its place, the astro droid rattled around in the field, until coming to a halt face first.

* * *

Arturo skidded down the large crater. It was a starfighter. A republic starfighter, it had the insignia on its left wing. Arturo took a look inside the cockpit expecting to see a clone. Maybe he could get some spare parts or snag its astro droid. Those go for 10,000 bronze on the black market.

Looking inside the glass canopy, Arturo knew it wasn't a clone. It was a Togruta. Looking right around the same age as he is. Sitting uncomfortably in her chair, in an awkward position. Her head slumped down. Arturo noticed a fire growing behind her and frantically tried to wake her up, pounding the glass.

"Hey!" He said many times. He mulled over shooting the canopy, but the cockpit was so tight he worried he'd hit the girl. Taking the bottom of his blaster Arturo slammed it on the glass canopy. Arturo noticed a latch on the side of the canopy and shot it off, in a quick haste he lifted up the canopy and grabbed the pilot and dragged her out of the fire.

He gently laid her down on the ground and observed if she had any injuries. "Never know what you're going to find here." He commented on his life's erratic and inconsistent pace.

Noticing the astro droid's high pitched call, Arturo ran to it kneeling in front of its damaged dome.

"Looks like you weren't so lucky, huh," Arturo noted the droids poor condition. The starfighter he pulled the Togruta out of imploded, shards of metal flying everywhere, Arturo shielded himself from the shards and dragged the heavy astro droid to the Togruta.

"Ugh, you're a heavy boy aren't you?" He whined, almost pulling his back out. He seen the brand on its disconnected left leg.

"Oh, so you're an R2 unit." Arturo took note. "I guess this is your master?" He asked. R2 replied with beeps and blinking lights, Arturo looked at it befuddled.

"Yeah, I can't understand you." He said half-heartily. He seen the Togruta was still unconscious. Looking at her attire, the Togruta wore a red/brownish skirt, black leggings and fingerless red gloves. Arturo wondered what was she. Jedi? Or solider? Her dirtied and cut blue and white and stripped montrals just reached her chest. He remembered what his friends told him when he was young regarding the Togruta race.

 _"Do not anger a Togruta. They have poisonous teeth." Arturo recalled the wise words, shrugging at the recollection._

"We're gonna need to find her help. Question is: where do we get it?" He asked. Seeing the droids left leg at his feet, the teen reattached it, slotting the leg in place.

"There you go little buddy, now you can roll around and traverse my wonderful land." He said with cynicism.

"Man, what am I going to do?" He lamented on his troubled situation, plopping his head in his hands. He seen a band of SBDs and four B2 models coming to inspect the crash. Since the three were out in an open field with no cover. Some trees in the distance, but Arturo couldn't drag a body that far. Arturo had no choice but to fight. Taking out his blaster, Arturo tried to fire shots, but the magazine wouldn't allow the blaster to fire.

"Oh, no!" He panicked. The SBDs closed in, seeing him standing in the open. R2 opened a small compartment in his dome sliding up Ashoka's lightsaber. Arturo stared at it with awe, taking it in his right hand.

"You think she'll be cool with me taking this?" He asked. The droid knew he couldn't understand him, so there was no response given. Arturo ignited the green blade and kept it as far from his face as possible.

Arturo's mind raced with a million different ways this thing could burn parts of his off. He mentally restrained himself from getting too comfortable with the blade; not really knowing how to use it.

"I can do this. I can do this. I can do this." He muttered to himself, creeping closer to the SBDs that began firing. Arturo ducked from the blast and sliced one of their knees in half and cut off both of the B2 models (equipped with duel ion firing arms) arms off.

Arturo always wanted to jack one of these, thinking he'd wield it as a club, but in his debut he refrained from such wild actions.

When another B2 model stepped in front of the unskilled lightsaber wielded, Arturo rolled to the side, catching the SBD off guard, as it is not good moving side to side, and crammed the blade in its right eye.

Arturo struggled mightily to get the blade out of the droids eye. A B2 took the opportunity to strike the teenager away, unbeknown to it also dislodging the saber. Arturo backed away as the six SBDs prepared to fire upon him.

"HELP!" He mentally shrieked, looking to the R2 unit, hoping he'd have a spare saber he could borrow. He closed his eyes and held his wrist over his face, readying himself for the end.

Arturo's eyes opened, hearing the humming sound of a activated lightsaber. Ashoka sliced up the SBDs and B2s like butter, taking them from the back and sides. When they laid around her in a junk pile, the teenage Togruta deactivated her saber, standing over the teen.

"These scrap heaps can only move straight." She enlightened Arturo, who took her outstretched hand to get back up on his two feet. Arturo became elated, thankful to the Togruta for helping him.

"Thanks for the tip." Arturo peered behind her shoulder and saw more SBDs incoming. "Driods behind you." She looked and saw the battalion. In her current condition, she wouldn't be able to do much damage. Ashoka took Arturo's hand and led them out of the field amid gunfire.

"Come on, Artoo!" She called to the astro droid, following them into the small forest.

"Yippee, another forest!" Arturo made of a mockery of the repetition. Ashoka deflected some of the rapid fire blast from the SBDs, obviously still recuperating, grabbing her sides and taking cover.

Arturo took notice and grabbed her shoulder. "Hey, you alright?" He worriedly asked. Taking deep heavy breathes the Togruta tried to waive his concerns.

"I'm fine." She said, hiding her discomfort. The droids closed in and Ashoka didn't seem aware of it.

"You know, I could be more help if I had a weapon!" He groaned, looking at R2. "You got anything else in that dome of yours?" He asked.

Ashoka peaked around the tree and saw the super battle droids closing in, all in a straight organized line. She smirked deviously. Ashoka deactivated her lightsaber, closed her eyes and extended both of her hands. Arturo was about to question her, when Artoo lightly electro shocked him so as Ashoka wouldn't lose concentration.

Reaching out with the force, struggling with the mighty weight of the tree, Ashoka uprooted one from the ground and dropped it on the droids while also preventing a way more of could chase the two down.

Ashoka fell over, hunched next to the tree propping her up. Arturo was awe struck at the live demonstration of the force. He's studied the art before, but never seen it used in person.

"That was...amazing!" He said out loud like a doofus, feeling like a eight-year-old kid for a second. Ashoka paid no mind to his praise .

"We gotta get out of here!" She said. Arturo tried to stop her, but failed. He instead tried keeping up which was a very difficult task.

"You don't even know where you're going!" He pointed out to her. "And, i don't know who you are!" He stopped her. "This place is crawling with droids and you aren't in any condition to fight." He said.

She slowed down, realizing he was right and she was so caught up in trying to find her master, she didn't form a plan.

"Don't you think I know that?" She pushed back. "I'm trying to find my master before they get to him!" She stormed off, with Arturo on her tail.

"Whoa, Master?" He pestered her for more information. "What's going on here, is the republic sending relief?" He asked. Ashoka shook her head.

"That's none of your business!" Ashoka realized she said too much and proceeded to keep her mouth shut. Arturo still followed her, unwilling to let her go by herself.

"Hey, so what was the point of taking my hand back there?" He asked her. She kept walking. Arturo seen she was tiring.

"You were in danger, surrounded by battle droids with no weapon. You saved me; I saved you." She said that in a "so we're even" tone. Seeing her comlink was busted, the Togruta groaned in frustration.

"Well, I won't be contacting anybody with this." She tossed it.

"You know I'd be more of a help if I had a weapon in my hand." Arturo badgered Ashoka again, complaining.

"And that's my problem?" Ashoka replied with no interest. Arturo still followed her, seeing as she was his only protection.

"Listen, you need help, I need help." Arturo's brain hatched a plan and cut to the chase, laying down his offer down to her.

"You're pretty good with that lightsaber and are skilled with the force, and I'm good with a blaster. How about we work something out?" He proposed to her. "You need help with what ever you're trying to do and I need help to break my family free from the separatist?" He finished his offer.

"What could you do?" She asked him, very skeptical of this partnership.

"I know where the hospital is. I'm the best shooter on the planet and I know Lianos like the back of my hand." He extended his hand to cement the deal. Ashoka didn't know what to think. Trusting this stranger could lead to a trap, but he could be the only way she'll fine Anakin. She shook his hand, staring at him right in the eyes.

"Alright. But no weapons." She laid down her ground rule for him. Arturo was shellshocked she'd let him be defenseless, but knew there was no use in complaining.

"Arturo Carroll, 16." He introduced himself.

"Ashoka Tano, also 16." She introduced herself. Arturo found it off somebody his age was flying starfighters and wielding Jedi weapons.

"Well, Ashoka Tano, I hope lucks on your side today." Arturo walked in front, taking the lead. "Come on, I know where you can get checked out, oh, and keep a low profile." She nodded and followed.

* * *

Anakin and Mace were tended to by the wives of members of the "Lianos Militia", Vernon checked in on the two Jedi's, their bandaged torsos and heads made them unfit to continue fighting.

"How are we doing?" He asked them. Anakin walked around the room with a crutch, Mace was still under.

"We're still alive." He said jokingly. "I never got a chance to thank you for helping us." Anakin said to Vernon and all of the nurses. "Your hospitality is greatly appreciated."

"Don't mention it, Skywalker." Vernon said. "It's a miracle the hospital was even still up about that barrage." When Vernon seen the facility still standing, he sent men inside to ransack it of everything it had to establish a medical center for the militia.

"I've never seen the separatist hit a planet so hard." Anakin lamented. Vernon shook his head, disagreeing with Anakin.

"This wasn't on the orders of Count Dooku or General Grievous." He told Anakin. "This was a direct result of citizens getting involved and fighting the separatist. They are merely fighting back." Anakin couldn't believe Vernon was defending the cold heartless droids.

"They're droids, they don't have feelings. If they were defending themselves, then what was the point of having the air strikes?" He viciously asked Vernon, his blood boiling a bit.

"A precaution to make sure the airbases on Lianos did not house any fighters that could challenge them." Vernon played off the attacks.

"Thirty people died in the bombings, Vernon." He walked away, obviously fed up with the conversation.

"You know, in all my years I've never seen two starfighters fall out of the sky at the same time." Anakin looked at Vernon like he was crazy.

"I seen it from here. It was unbelievable." One of the wives said.

"What are you talking about?" Anakin asked, getting a headache from all the stress.

"We seen two fighters plummet. Yours, the glorious _Twilight_ we heard so much about, may she rest in peace." Vernon turned around and began leaving the room. He struggled to identify the second ship "And a...Delta-7B Athersprite-class." Anakin's eyes widened.

"That's Ashoka's ship!" He said, raising up like a bored, hitting his head on the low ceiling. "I have to go look for her." He was about to limp out of the room when Vernon stopped him.

"Skywalker, you are in no condition to face an entire army of robots. You just heal." Vernon demanded. Anakin knew Vernon wasn't altruistic in his sincerity. Vernon planned on using the Jedi somehow. He was also right, Anakin couldn't even breathe wouldn't it being labored and Master Windu was still unconscious.

"Alright, Carroll." He said grimly, giving in. "But if you see a orange skinned Togruta...-" Anakin was cut off.

"Yes, Skywalker I will keep my eyes peeled for your friend." Vernon walked off, not interested in hearing the rest of the character description.

Anakin laid in his bed with a busted metal hand and bum ankle and a partially torn rotator cuff. He didn't know where his Padawan and former master was. And wondered if he was being held hostage by Vernon for assets the Republic did not have.


	10. Chapter 10 Ultimatum

**A/N: Hi, Rudy Dale (not my real name) here! I guess I should do the disclaimers even though that only makes things worse from an ownership prescriptive... Plus, I don't have a character that can "help" me do that stuff, so it's all undoable.**

 ** _Disney_. I'll see you in court. Apparently this Fanfiction story will become so large that it will make fans question the ownership of Star Wars!**

* * *

The aftermath of the assault on Lianos left the planet in devastation. Lianos star fighters frozen in ash, dead bodies of soldiers littered in the streets and all ways to call for reinforcements cut off.

"My lord, our spies have discovered a Jedi making her way through the town of Lusis, should we cut her off." Kerry Klingston suggested to Asajj. She was angry at the droids for causing this much of an uproar and giving away the location of her base. She and Grievous knew they would need to act fast before news of this would reach Dooku.

"We don't have time to dance with Jedi." Asajj shot down the idea. Kerry looked meek and pale, her hands shaking as she held the datapad.

"Yes, mistress." Kerry disagreed, the Jedi from what she's gathered from the data tapes looks serious and not to mention two other Jedi are running around the planet as well.

"Klingston," Asajj monitored the new batch of prisoners coming into the complex. "Recall droids in the Hoyiz and order them the city of Lusis." She ordered. The young red head was confused, but did what she was told before questioning her.

"Yes, mistress, but why Lusis?" The apprentice turned rouge looked at Kerry impatiently.

"It is where the militia holding the two Jedi are." She hissed with distain. If Klingston was of no use to her, Ventress would have already burned her.

"I thought you said we have no time for the Jedi?" She asked, immediately feeling like a fool for asking the Sith another question.

"We don't have time to chase, but we have time to kill." She answered.

"Yes, mistress. It will take some time, but they will be moved." Kerry swore to her master.

Before Asajj went to interrogate Obi-Wan again, she said one more thing to Kerry. "Tell Grievous to ready the bomber frigates. We are pushing the drop date closer." Asajj growled, not wanting to wait for word to reach Dooku of what his "apprentices" are up to.

 _"And I think I know of a way to deal with our Jedi friends."_

Kerry nodded and hid the thought from Ventress that she was insane. She knew where Asajj was going with this. Her and Grievous were going to speed up the nuclear weapons development for all the consequences that came with it.

* * *

 _City of Lusis,_ _Lianos_

Arturo and Ashoka rummaged through the hospital in Lusis, finding no trace of anybody ever being in here.

"Okay, what is this?" Ashoka now very mistrustful for Arturo. "I told you I didn't need any medical help and you drag me here to an abandoned hospital." She chastised Arturo for wasting her time. He looked just as befuddled.

"I don't understand...how could they evacuate so fast?" He asked himself. Contemplating, Arturo snapped his fingers as a light bulb went off.

"I think I know who could ransack this place and why." Arturo urged Ashoka to follow him. Seeing her limp and hold her sides, her head started to bleed a little bit too.

Frightened, Arturo took a crutch laying against the wall and placed it under Ashoka's arm. He helped her out of the hospital, walking beside her. Arturo knew she didn't trust him and vice versa, but he couldn't stand to see someone in such struggle and pain. It only worsened with the stress she put on in fighting the battle droids.

"You know, you'd have allot of saved up energy if you just gave me a blaster." He playfully mocked the Jedi. She rolled her eyes and wanted to elbow him right in the ribs, problem being she'd tumble to the floor immobile.

"Even if I wanted to give you a weapon all I have is my lightsabers." Arturo raised an eyebrow, Ashoka knew where he was getting at and immediately shot him down.

"No...no...no...no!" She said over and over again, her reluctance only made Arturo pester her more.

"You have multiple lightsabers, you won't miss it!" He half-joked to her. "I've already handled one so I got experience." He tried to convince her.

"Yeah, I seen it and Artoo told me about the parts I missed." She evaluated Arturo's performance. "You looked scared and were filled with self-doubt." She felt Arturo wasn't trusting his instincts and that lead him to his near death.

"So what, you wanna be my teacher?" He sarcastically asked her. "Cause I doubt you're that much better than me." He said. Ashoka wanted to roll her eyes again, but feared they'd fall out of her sockets.

Arturo took Ashoka to the old coffee place in the middle of Lusis. Dashing his right fist against the steel door, Arturo heard a crunch in his hand feeling pain in his right knuckle.

"Should have seen that coming." Arturo lamented his shortsightedness. Ashoka looked at him with a smirk.

"Yes, you should've." She made fun of him, hiding her smirk. The peephole slid open showing a pair of beady navy blue eyes.

"Arturo?" The man said, not believing his eyes. He opened the door. "I thought you were dead." He said, shaking the boy's hand and bringing him in for an embrace. He eyed the Togruta, his facial feature shifted to distain.

"Who's this?" He asked, circling Ashoka, seeing her lightsabers attached to her waist belt and tried to snag them. Arturo stepped in and prevented this.

"She's cool, she's with me, Kaliph." He assured the human.

"She is a Jedi. Do you know what hell this will bring upon us!" He lashed out. Arturo tried to move Ashoka in back of him, but she wasn't scared by the Rodian.

"What hasn't been unleashed on us, Kaliph, you tell me?" He countered. "Besides, she needs some attention and we need another bodyguard." He tried to convince Kaliph this could be used to their advantage. Ashoka knew what Arturo was trying to do.

"Okay, Arturo, but make sure you watch the Jedi." Kaliph warned. Arturo walked away, calling for medics to assist the Togruta.

"And that honey, is how you get things done on Lianos." His swollen-head allowed him to patronize Ashoka. She always ran the word 'honey' in her mind.

" _First_ :" She held her index finger in front of Arturo's face. "Don't call me honey. _Second_ : Don't be so confident. Without me you'd be in prison." She kicked back the claim Arturo was the one in charge here.

"Okay, you're right." He said. "Listen, you're about to meet my father. This club is is filled with Republic loyalist, but they are no so fond of the Jedi" He cautioned Ashoka to be aware of Vernon's bias.

"Why do they hate the Jedi?" She asked. Finding it hard people could like one and hate the other.

"People like my father don't respect the Jedi, how are are soldiers and not peacekeepers." Arturo knew this from listening to his father's speeches about the atrocities of the clone wars. How men and women shouldn't lift a finger to help either side despite their political positions.

 _"If this war is between robots and clones, then let them all kill each other!"_ He remembered Vernon speaking proudly to his mates late at the pub. The patrons would cheer and yell out **"Pointless! Pointless!"** till sunrise.

"Arturo!" He winced at the ear piercing holler from his elder. "You've returned." He said, giving his son a good slap on the back, then eyed Ashoka. "Who's this?" He asked, pointing to her.

"Somebody I found in the wreckage in the Calco fields. She needs medical help now." Arturo cut to the chase. Vernon noticed she was a Jedi and became squeamish like Kaliph.

"Come with me child." Vernon said. Arturo was about to help Ashoka walk, when she shooed him away and began to limp behind Vernon.

"Stubborn like a...like a...stubborn animal I cannot think of right now." He walked next to the limping Jedi and his slowed down father.

"What have you seen in your travels, son?" Vernon asked. Arturo ushered to his father to hand him one of the pistols attached to his waist. Vernon handed it to him.

"Just a bunch of droids and burning buildings." He said. "There are deserted now. The separatist either took them away or they evacuated." Arturo worried about a possible third outcome that involved slaughter.

"We've found out the separatists took the prisoners to the correctional facility west of here." Vernon enlightened. "Grievous converted it to a military jail. It holds up to 2,500 citizens of Lianos."

Arturo pounded his fist against his palm, ready to go at the drop of a hat. "Let's go get them then." He jumped at the chance. Vernon's facial expression changed to disenchantment.

"You still never listen!" He barked. "I said **'don't get involved'** and you get involved at every turn." Arturo didn't have anything to say, he usually ignores these pleas and that's what he did here, much to Vernon's disfavor.

"Let's just get Ashoka bandaged up, alright?" He put a pin on the conversation. Vernon reluctantly agreed and walked away.

"What was that about?" She asked, mildly surprised she would even care enough to.

"Eh, my father always preached neutrality in the Clone War. He prefers none of his kids get involved and keep their heads down." He said feeling Vernon never really had an eye for the big picture.

"And you?" She wondered about Arturo's thought on the matter.

"My thoughts on the Clone War?" He asked if that's what she was inquiring him about, she nodded. "It's a mess of things, but anywhere is better than here. I wanna do my part for the Republic." He tried to condense his entire mind of intricate thoughts in one short sentence.

"Your thoughts?" He asked her. Ashoka never thought about the whole politics of the Clone War. The Galactic Republic has been unified for a thousand generations under the Jedis protection. The Separatist movement seemed to undo that and rise their empire.

She shrugged. "I'm conflicted on what side I'm on." She quipped and limped off to her quarters.

"Ha ha, really funny." He said in a good natured sarcastic way. "Hey, I got friends to check up on, so I'll catch you later." He said before leaving.

* * *

 _Lianos Milita Medical Ward_

The door slide open showing the two Jedi masters being tended to. Anakin had a cast around his shoulder and Mace was unconscious.

"Master." Ashoka was grateful that her master was still alive. She wanted to rush up and hug him, but tried to keep things professional. Meanwhile, Anakin breathed the biggest sigh of relief in his life.

"Snips!" He didn't hide his joy; he embraced his Padawan tightly for a second, then changed his expression instantly to mild anger. "You shouldn't have defied the council and me, Ashoka!" He chastised her. Ashoka held her head low, knowing now he was right and she only succeeded in possibly jeopardizing the mission.

"I know and I'm sorry, master." She kept her head down, ashamed of herself and her recklessness that didn't accomplish a thing.

Anakin's look softened. He seen the scratches on her headtails and immediately shifted focus. He also felt a bone chilling sensation, followed by dread and pain. Anakin began to worry about his master, knowing the horrible state he has yet to save him from.

"Come on, let's get you looked at." Anakin just wanted to get Ashoka bandaged up so he could focus on the larger mission.

* * *

 _War Room_

Arturo found Margot wrapping bacta tape around her left lekku, staring at the Holomap of the correctional facility.

"Hey, Myra, what you doin'?" He asked, looking at the Holomap with her. "That the jail where they're keeping everybody?" Arturo asked.

Margot nodded and stayed in deep focus. "Your father made me general, he instructed me to keep you faraway from the mission as possible." Arturo eyed her like she was kidding.

"And?" He asked. Margot smiled at him, knowing she'd never be able to keep the young kid out of the fight.

"We'll figure something out." She said, assuring Arturo he'd be present for the deployment.

* * *

 _Cell block 0021_

"So, you're bombing Coruscant." Obi-Wan still restricted, took in the information Asajj was giving him. "Why are you telling me this?" He asked, not believing she'd randomly dish out the details of her plan.

"My _master_ will soon find out through his moles, so I thought it be only right to inform you." Ventress said. Grievous took the electro staff and shocked the Jedi right under the rib section. He yelped at the sharp pain.

"This is fun, Kenobi." Grievous released a hearty laugh.

"Is the _Impact_ ready?" Asajj asked the general. He nodded and turned right back to shock the Jedi, who's voice was too horsed at this point to scream. What came out was labored puffs of breath.

Unable to stop himself from spitting up on his beard, his mouth began to numb. Kenobi tried speaking. "The ways of the Sith is no loyalty towards a master; only contempt and a lust for blood." Obi-Wan hissed bitterly at the Sith ways. "You're better than this, Asajj." He half-meant. He had respect for the female assassin, she had it in her for a fight, rather than Grievous.

Ventress chuckled. "Why I'm flattered, Kenobi. But I'm taken." She looked to Grievous, taking the electro staff from him. "Why don't you take care of our other problem, general." She ordered the droid. He begrudgingly left the cell.

"Grievous is extremely meek around you." Kenobi noted. Asajj took ahold of Kenobi's chin and looked at him with her beady grey eyes. "A woman knows what she wants. He commented, trying to get her to let her guard down, but failed.

"Flattery will get you everywhere but out of here, Kenobi." The Jedi shivered that the thought, then got shocked again. The assassin cackled in laugher, hoping Skywalker and his pet would feel his masters pain.

* * *

 _Lianos Milita Base_

Margot was going over the plans to storm the Oryii fortress with Vernon. Ashoka was bandaged up, the bleeding stopped in her headtails. Anakin was right beside her, still in a cast, but he planned on ripping it off. He just didn't tell anybody that.

Arturo looked on from the side, keeping his ears wide open to soak in every detail without his father getting a whiff of his intent.

"The Oryii prison is guarded heavily on the outside, luckily its roof does not have any cover and there is no way to get to it other than climbing a latter, so we don't have to worry about any snipers. We do have to worry about B2 Super Battle Droids and their B2-RP counterparts and Droideka's." Margot told the militia and looked directly at Ashoka and Anakin.

"Anakin, you take up team 1. Your mission is to find Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and get him out. Ashoka...though you are a Padawan, I insist to you Master Skywalker that she be given responsibility on this mission." Margot asked of her. Arturo's posture perked up.

Anakin looked to his humbled Padawan. He knew she has been craving responsibility like this and that one day he'd actually have to trust her. "I assure you General Cia, my Padawan is ready." He said proudly. Ashoka eyed Arturo, wondering if he put in a good word for her.

"Very well. Padawan Tano will lead the second team tasked with finding the prisoners from cell blocks 1-20. I'll lead the third team that will free the rest of the prisoners and break into the weapons vault, we'll arm the prisoners and get out." She finished laying out the simplistic parts of the plan. The team looked uncertain as to how this would happen.

"How can we be sure that the prisoners are trustworthy?" Anakin questioned the Twi'lek.

"They are prisoners, they want out of that place and will do what ever it takes." She simply said. Leading to the next question.

"What about the sensors and how will we open the cells?" Vernon asked her.

"That's where the astro droids come in." She began to explain. "Skywalker's droid R2-D2 has transmitted the codes to the cells to two fellow R2 units that will join us in the rescue mission." Margot answered Vernon's question.

"But, with all due respect general, how did you get this information?" One man asked.

"A smuggler Mario Fullmer was sent in as a mole many months ago had a Lobot headset on him, transmitting the codes to all the sets after hacking into the facilities computers. He destroyed the headset before capture." Myra told them. Looks of mistrust and worry were exchanged by most the men that weren't the two Jedi's.

Vernon took the stage, looking at the doubling faces. "If anybody has second thoughts about this, then the doors right there!" He gave his team one chance to exit out of this. "No hard feelings!" He promised them. Their moods didn't lighten, but they didn't leave either.

"This is war. People die. That's how it's supposed to be. We all gotta go one day and we get to choose how do we want to be remembered and how useful our lives were!" He eyed his son looking at his father do his two-face act. One says how great it is to live with purpose. The other speaks of how you should do anything but keep your head down.

"We all got choices to make and I've made mine to save my family. Many of you have friends and family in those cells I am sure. Wouldn't you go the extra mile to save them?" He asked the men. Captivated, they applauded Vernon and swore their allegiance to the cause, much to Vernon's pleasure.

"Thank you, men!" He held back a tear of joy. "I wouldn't go to war with anybody else!"

Margot left the Holomap and went for Arturo, seeing Vernon being swarmed by soldiers, Margot knew he wasn't going to get clarity from his father.

"Hey," Margot seen the look of resentment on Arturo's face, seeing Vernon being hailed as a hero. "You're still going with us." She promised him. Arturo shook his head.

"It's not about that." He said, reaching into his pockets. "He knows I've been wanting to join the Galactic Military since I was 14, yet he tells me I shouldn't get involved while he tells others to." Margot looked at the teenager with somber.

"He doesn't want you to get hurt." She defended Vernon, while she disagreed with his ways of dealing with the issue, she did understand his motivations.

"Maybe I wanna get hurt!" Arturo shot back. "What is here for me to live for on this planet other than running for my life to hold some chump change to feed my sister?!" He became irate. "I'm tired of walking around race tracks on my knees looking for a winning ticket, I'm tired of using my force abilities to manipulate card games and dice." He confessed to the wicked things he's done with the force as his ally. "Most people living like I do don't live to see 30." His look was that of misery. Tired of all the running and repetition.

Margot was about to respond when her wrist bracelet began to blink red. "I got a Holoprojection coming in!" She rushed to her quarters to answer it. Arturo was right behind her, feeling something was off.

When they entered her quarters, Margot flipped the switch and accepted the call. It was Asajj Ventress standing next to a battered Obi-Wan. The Sith's look of confidence was replaced by rage.

"Where is Skywalker?!" She demanded the Jedi show himself. Margot knew who that Jedi was.

"He isn't here right now may I take a message?" Myra said, adding. "And please, be a little more kinder in your tone." She mocked the Sith. Asajj resisted the urge to force choke Myra and took a breath.

"I have Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi here, he is not in the best shape as you can see." She gestured to his limp limbs being held up by restraints, the blood pouring down his cheek and shaky voice. "He will die with the complex and everybody in it by 0500 then this whole place will be in shambles." She gives the two an ultimatum to save the prisoners before the bombs go off.

"Forget about me and stop Grievous!" Obi-Wan warned, babbling and a slur in his speech. He was electro shocked again by Grievous to stay quite.

The transmission cut, leaving the two baffled and confused listeners.

"We gotta tell the Jedi!" They said in unison. "What's the time!?" Arturo asked with panic in his voice.

"2300, we got six hours!" Margot grabbed her things and went to meet the Jedi, Arturo followed suit.

* * *

 _Cell block 0021_

"I still don't know what you hope to accomplish with this, mistress?" Kerry asked Ventress. The Sith chuckled, still thinking about the fear on the two punks faces.

"We will place the nuclear weapon aboard the _Impact_ , the storming of the prison is to just keep the fighters busy long enough so we can gain a big enough lead to bomb Coruscant." Ventress answered.

Obi-Wan struggled against his restraints, the little strength his had left was being spent Ina futile endeavor. "Asajj, this isn't the way!" He couldn't think of anything to say, she was demented and hellbent on bringing down the Jedi. Long dissatisfied with her masters ineptitude.

Without even saying a word the two assassins and their assistant left the holding cell. Kenobi sensed Klingston's doubt and left her with a parting word. "Genocide is never the answer!" Before the door closed, cutting off all the sound.

Kerry didn't sign up for this, she wanted to further weapons development in the hopes of ending the bitter war for a new era of peace. This wouldn't bring peace. It would only bring chaos. And such is the way of the Sith

* * *

 _LIM base_

After hearing the message on playback, Anakin was anything but anxious. "We don't know for sure that there are charges placed around the complex." He broke down the threat. "This is a simple ploy to draw us out of our defenses unprepared and cast a blind eye to her actions." Anakin finished dissecting the argument. Arturo felt like a fool for panicking. Margot, however, had a different angle.

"It isn't the threat that scared me, it is the fact that we have officially entered her endgame. Whatever her and Grievous have cooking it's about to be served soon." Margot said. She never bought the threat as real, she's seen enough of these tactics on her travels to know when something random is tossed into the winds to effect the oppositions thinking progress.

"I think we need to delay the rescue of Master Kenobi." Margot suggest to the Jedi. "You are wounded, our guns are rusted and old and Master Windu is in critical condition." She explained how they weren't in any condition to mount multiple offenses in their current state. "Instead, I say we hunt her down in the various air bases where she could possibly be planning to escape or carry out the final phase of her plan." Myra laid out her idea, advocating expanding all their assets to finding Ventress.

"We need to find Obi-Wan. I don't want to risk his life for a hunch." Anakin shot down the idea, before shifting. "Me and Padawan Tano will head up the search for Ventress. You will focus your energy on freeing the prisoners. It is too dangerous for anybody else to encounter the Sith." Anakin said.

Margot admitted the plan seemed like a good meeting in the middle. A good make sure no stone is left unturned measure. The Twi'lek agreed to the plan.

* * *

 **A/N: That's a wrap! Hope you enjoyed it. If not, be honest as to why.**

 **Just a topic I wanna touch on. How many of you think Ashoka is gonna die at the end of _Rebels_ season 2? I'd put the odds at around +2,000 we'll have seen the last of her by then. **


End file.
